| quean | 1. A woman; a young or unmarried woman; a girl. 2. A low woman; a wench; a slut. "The dread of every scolding quean." Origin: Originally, a woman, AS. Cwene; akin to OS. Quena, OHG. Quena, Icel. Kona, Goth qin, and AS. Cwen, also to Gr. Woman, wife, Skr. Gna goddess. Cf. Queen. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
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| queasy | 1. Sick at the stomach; affected with nausea; inclined to vomit; qualmish. 2. Fastidious; squeamish; delicate; easily disturbed; unsettled; ticklish. " A queasy question." "Some seek, when queasy conscience has its qualms." (Cowper) Origin: Icel. Kweisa pain; cf. Norw. Kveis sickness after a debauch. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| quebec | A province of eastern canada. Its capital is quebec. The region belonged to france from 1627 to 1763 when it was lost to the british. The name is from the algonquian quilibek meaning the place where waters narrow, referring to the gradually narrowing channel of the st. Lawrence or to the narrows of the river at cape diamond. (12 Dec 1998) |
| quebec group | <geology> The middle of the three groups into which the rocks of the Canadian period have been divided in the American Lower Silurian system. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| quebrachine | An alkaloid, C21H26N2O3, from quebracho and identical with yohimbine; formerly used in cardiac dyspnea. (05 Mar 2000) |
| quebracho | <botany> A Chilian apocynaceous tree (Aspidosperma Quebracho); also, its bark, which is used as a febrifuge, and for dyspnoea of the lung, or bronchial diseases; called also white quebracho, to distinguish it from the red quebracho, a Mexican anacardiaceous tree (Loxopterygium Lorentzii) whose bark is said to have similar properties. Origin: Sp. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| quebrith | <chemistry> Sulphur. Origin: OE. Quebrit, quibrith, Ar. Kibrit. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| Queckenstedt | Hans, German physician, 1876-1918. See: Queckenstedt-Stookey test. (05 Mar 2000) |
| Queckenstedt-Stookey test | Compression of the jugular vein in a healthy person causes an increase in the pressure of the spinal fluid in the lumbar region within 10 to 12 seconds, and an equally rapid fall to normal on release of the pressure on the vein; when there is a block of subarachnoid channels, compression of the vein causes little or no increase of pressure in the cerebrospinal fluid. (05 Mar 2000) |
| queen | 1. The wife of a king. 2. A woman who is the sovereign of a kingdom; a female monarch; as, Elizabeth, queen of England; Mary, queen of Scots. "In faith, and by the heaven's quene." (Chaucer) 3. A woman eminent in power or attractions; the highest of her kind; as, a queen in society; also used figuratively of cities, countries, etc. " This queen of cities." " Albion, queen of isles." 4. The fertile, or fully developed, female of social bees, ants, and termites. 5. The most powerful, and except the king the most important, piece in a set of chessmen. 6. A playing card bearing the picture of a queen; as, the queen of spades. Queen apple. [Cf. OE. Quyne aple quince apple] A kind of apple; a queening. "Queen apples and red cherries." . Queen bee, a very large West Indian cameo conch (Cassis cameo). It is much used for making cameos. Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king. Queen dowager, the widow of a king. Queen gold, formerly a revenue of the queen consort of England, arising from gifts, fines, etc. Queen mother, a queen dowager who is also mother of the reigning king or queen. Queen of May. See May queen, under May. <botany> Queen of the meadow, a heavy yellow powder consisting of a basic mercuric sulphate; formerly called turpetum minerale, or Turbith's mineral. Origin: OE. Quen, quene, queen, quean, AS. Cwen wife, queen, woman; akin to OS. Quan wife, woman, Icel. Kvan wife, queen, Goth. Qens. See Quean. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| queenfish | <zoology> A California sciaenoid food fish (Seriphys politus). The back is bluish, and the sides and belly bright silvery. Synonym: kingfish. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| queening | <botany> Any one of several kinds of apples, as summer queening, scarlet queening, and early queening. An apple called the queening was cultivated in England two hundred years ago. See: Queen apple. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| queensland | A state in northeastern Australia. Its capital is brisbane. Its coast was first visited by captain cook in 1770 and its first settlement (penal) was located on moreton bay in 1824. The name cooksland was first proposed but honor to queen victoria prevailed. (12 Dec 1998) |
| queensland nut | <botany> The nut of an Australian tree (Macadamia ternifolia). It is about an inch in diameter, and contains a single round edible seed, or sometimes two hemispherical seeds. So called from Queensland in Australia. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| queensland tick typhus | One of the tick-borne rickettsial diseases of the eastern hemisphere, similar to rocky mountain spotted fever, but less severe, with fever, a small ulcer (eschar) at the site of the tick bite, swollen glands nearby (satellite lymphadenopathy), and a red raised (maculopapular) rash. (12 Dec 1998) |