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quail
quail common name for a variety of small game birds related to the partridge, pheasant, and more distantly to the grouse. There are three subfamilies in the quail family: the New World quails; the Old World quails and partridges; and the true pheasants and seafowls. No species of New World quail is migratory, but some Old World quail represent the only migratory species of the order. The migratory quail of Eurasia has been known for its phenomenal migrations since biblical times. Quails have high reproductive potentials, with 12 to 15 eggs laid per clutch. The nests are built on the ground in vegetation. The female does the major portion of incubation and rearing. Quails are extremely popular game birds. The Old World quail has never been naturalized in America; in the central and S United States the bobwhite , Colinus virginianus, is commonly called quail (or partridge). The helmet and plumed quails, named for their crests, the Gambel's quail, and the valley and scaled quails are all western birds. They eat harmful insects and seeds and travel in flocks called coveys. Quails are classified in the phylum Chordata , subphylum Vertebrata, class Aves, order Galliformes, family Phasianidae. |
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"quail." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "quail." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-quail.html "quail." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-quail.html |
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quail
quail1 / kwāl/ • n. (pl. same or quails ) 1. a small, short-tailed Old World game bird (family Phasianidae) resembling a tiny partridge, typically having brown camouflaged plumage. Three genera, in particular Coturnix, and several species include the common quail (C. coturnix). 2. a small or medium-sized New World game bird (family Phasianidae or Odontophoridae) the male of which has distinctive facial markings. Several genera and many species include the bobwhite. . quail2 • v. [intr.] feel or show fear or apprehension: she quailed at his heartless words. |
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"quail." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "quail." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-quail.html "quail." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-quail.html |
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quail
quail Any of a group of Old World gamebirds. The European quail (Coturnix coturnix), a small, short-tailed bird with white throat and mottled brownish plumage, is found throughout Europe, Asia and Africa. The Australian quail (Turnix velox) is a stocky, brownish bird. Mainly ground-living birds, they scrape for fruits and seeds and nest on the ground. The Japanese quail (C. coturnix japonica) is used as a source of meat and eggs in Europe and the USA.
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"quail." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "quail." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-quail.html "quail." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-quail.html |
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quail
quail Formerly a game bird, now so endangered in the wild that shooting is prohibited, but farmed. Two main species, Bonasa umbellus and Colinus virginianus; Californian quail is Lophortyx californica. The small eggs are prized as a delicacy. A 150‐g portion (whole bird) is a rich source of protein and niacin; a good source of vitamins B1 and B2; contains 3 g of fat and supplies 180 kcal (760 kJ).
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DAVID A. BENDER. "quail." A Dictionary of Food and Nutrition. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. DAVID A. BENDER. "quail." A Dictionary of Food and Nutrition. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O39-quail.html DAVID A. BENDER. "quail." A Dictionary of Food and Nutrition. 2005. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O39-quail.html |
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quail
quail. Toy instr. which imitates the cry of the quail; used in ‘toy symphonies’. Beethoven imitated the quail in his Pastoral Symphony but using normal instrs.
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MICHAEL KENNEDY and JOYCE BOURNE. "quail." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Music. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. MICHAEL KENNEDY and JOYCE BOURNE. "quail." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Music. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O76-quail.html MICHAEL KENNEDY and JOYCE BOURNE. "quail." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Music. 1996. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O76-quail.html |
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quail
quail1 migratory bird allied to the partridge. XIV. — OF. quaille (mod. caille):- medL. coacula, prob. of imit. orig.
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T. F. HOAD. "quail." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "quail." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-quail.html T. F. HOAD. "quail." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-quail.html |
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quail
quail2 fail, give way XV; lose heart, be cowed XVI; also trans. of unkn. orig.
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Cite this article
T. F. HOAD. "quail." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "quail." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-quail1.html T. F. HOAD. "quail." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-quail1.html |
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quails
quails See PHASIANIDAE.
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MICHAEL ALLABY. "quails." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. MICHAEL ALLABY. "quails." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O8-quails.html MICHAEL ALLABY. "quails." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O8-quails.html |
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quail
quail •ail, ale, assail, avail, bail, bale, bewail, brail, Braille, chain mail, countervail, curtail, dale, downscale, drail, dwale, entail, exhale, fail, faille, flail, frail, Gael, Gail, gale, Grail, grisaille, hail, hale, impale, jail, kale, mail, male, nail, nonpareil, outsail, pail, pale, quail, rail, sail, sale, sangrail, scale, shale, snail, stale, swale, tail, tale, they'll, trail, upscale, vail, vale, veil, wail, wale, whale, Yale
•Passchendaele • Airedale
•Wensleydale • Clydesdale
•Chippendale • Coverdale • Abigail
•galingale • martingale • nightingale
•farthingale • Windscale • timescale
•blackmail • airmail
•email, female
•Ishmael • voicemail • vermeil
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"quail." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "quail." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-quail.html "quail." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-quail.html |
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