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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To quiddity
Collins
World English Dictionary
quiddity (ˈkwɪdɪtɪ) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n , pl -ties | |
| 1. | philosophy Compare haecceity the essential nature of something |
| 2. | a petty or trifling distinction; quibble |
| [C16: from Medieval Latin quidditās, from Latin quid what] | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
00:10
Quiddity
is always a great word to know.
So is callithumpian. Does it mean:
| a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes. |
| a screen or mat covered with a dark material for shielding a camera lens from excess light or glare. |
Dictionary.com's 21st Century Lexicon
| Main Entry: | quiddity1 |
| Part of Speech: | n |
| Definition: | the real nature or essence of something which makes it different from others |
| Etymology: | Latin quid 'something' + -ity |
| Main Entry: | quiddity2 |
| Part of Speech: | n |
| Definition: | a subtlety or quibbling point; triviality |
| Etymology: | Latin quid 'something' + -ity |
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
quiddity
1539, "captious nicety in argument" from M.L. quidditas, lit. "whatness," from L. quid "what," neut. of quis (see who). Sense developed from scholastic disputes over the nature of things. Original meaning "real essence or nature of a thing" is attested in Eng. from 1569.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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