[kwil] 
| 1. | one of the large feathers of the wing or tail of a bird. |
| 2. | the hard, hollow, basal part of a feather. |
| 3. | a feather, as of a goose, formed into a pen for writing. |
| 4. | one of the hollow spines on a porcupine or hedgehog. |
| 5. | a plectrum of a harpsichord. |
| 6. | a roll of bark, as of cinnamon, formed in drying. |
| 7. | a reed or other hollow stem on which yarn is wound. |
| 8. | a bobbin or spool. |
| 9. | a toothpick. |
| 10. | Machinery.
|
| 11. | a musical pipe, esp. one made from a hollow reed. |
| 12. | Textiles.
|
| 13. | to penetrate with, or as if with, a quill or quills. |
| 14. | to extract a quill or quills from: to quill a duck before cooking it. |
| quill (kwĭl) n.
[Middle English quil.] |
quill (kwĭl) Pronunciation Key
|
quill
hollow, horny barrel of a bird's feather, used as the principal writing instrument from the 6th century until the mid-19th century, when steel pen points were introduced. The strongest quills were obtained from living birds in their new growth period in the spring. Only the five outer wing feathers (follicles) were considered suitable for writing; the second and third were especially preferred. Quills from the left wing were favoured because the feathers curve outward and away from a right-handed writer.
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