EN Vocabulary - 3000 Words

Common words beginning Q

/ˌkwɒlɪfɪˈkeɪʃ(ə)n/
noun
  1. A pass of an examination or an official completion of a course, especially one conferring status as a recognized practitioner of a profession or activity.
    • example - I left school at 15 with no qualifications
  2. A condition that must be fulfilled before a right can be acquired; an official requirement.
    • example - the five-year residency qualification for presidential candidates
  3. The action or fact of qualifying or being eligible for something.
    • example - they need to beat Poland to ensure qualification for the World Cup finals
  4. A statement or assertion that makes another less absolute.
    • example - this important qualification needs to be remembered when interpreting the results
    • synonyms - modification, limitation, restriction, reservation, stipulation, allowance, adaptation, alteration, adjustment, amendment, revision, refinement, moderation, tempering, softening, lessening, reduction, mitigation
  5. The attribution of a quality to a word, especially a noun.
    • example - The first element in the phrase is an adverb, an adverbial qualification or an object (direct or indirect).
/ˈkwɒlɪfʌɪd/
adjective
  1. Officially recognized as being trained to perform a particular job; certified.
    • example - newly qualified nurses
    • synonyms - certified, certificated, chartered, licensed, professional
  2. Not complete or absolute; limited.
    • example - I could only judge this CD a qualified success
    • synonyms - limited, conditional, restricted, bounded, contingent, circumscribed, reserved, guarded, cautious, hesitant, tentative, equivocal
/ˈkwɒlɪfʌɪ/
verb
  1. Be entitled to a particular benefit or privilege by fulfilling a necessary condition.
    • example - a pensioner who does not qualify for income support
    • synonyms - be eligible, meet the requirements
  2. Become officially recognized as a practitioner of a particular profession or activity, typically by undertaking a course and passing examinations.
    • example - the training necessary to qualify as a solicitor
    • synonyms - certified, certificated, chartered, licensed, professional
  3. Make (a statement or assertion) less absolute; add reservations to.
    • example - she felt obliged to qualify her first short answer
    • synonyms - limited, conditional, restricted, bounded, contingent, circumscribed, reserved, guarded, cautious, hesitant, tentative, equivocal
  4. (of a word or phrase) attribute a quality to (another word, especially a preceding noun).
    • example - Secondly, the misconduct is qualified by the word ‘serious’.
/ˈkwɒlɪti/
noun
  1. The standard of something as measured against other things of a similar kind; the degree of excellence of something.
    • example - an improvement in product quality
    • synonyms - standard, grade, class, classification, calibre, status, condition, character, nature, constitution, make-up, form, rank, worth, value, level
  2. A distinctive attribute or characteristic possessed by someone or something.
    • example - he shows strong leadership qualities
    • synonyms - feature, trait, attribute, characteristic, point, aspect, facet, side, streak, property, peculiarity, idiosyncrasy, quirk
adjective
  • Of good quality; excellent.
    • synonyms - fine, of high quality, of a high standard, quality, superior
/ˈkwɒntɪti/
noun
  1. The amount or number of a material or abstract thing not usually estimated by spatial measurement.
    • example - the quantity and quality of the fruit can be controlled
    • synonyms - amount, number, total, aggregate, sum, quota, group, size, mass, weight, volume, bulk, load, consignment, expanse, extent, length, area
  2. The perceived length of a vowel sound or syllable.
    • example - In speech, this feature is reflected in phonological quantity.
  3. A value or component that may be expressed in numbers.
    • example - Another important quantity is the clustering coefficient C of a vertex.
/ˈk(w)ɔːtə/
noun
  1. Each of four equal or corresponding parts into which something is or can be divided.
    • example - she cut each apple into quarters
  2. One fourth of a pound weight (avoirdupois, equal to 4 ounces).
    • example - It can be made in different sizes to contain a fraction of an ounce to a quarter pound or more of liquid, gel, or cream.
  3. The haunches or hindquarters of a horse.
    • example - they have strong, muscular quarters
  4. A part of a town or city having a particular character or use.
    • example - a beautiful port city with a fascinating medieval quarter
    • synonyms - district, area, region, part, side, neighbourhood, precinct, locality, sector, section, zone, tract, belt
  5. The direction of one of the points of the compass, especially as a direction from which the wind blows.
    • example - The weather was perfect, the course firm and the wind blowing from the quarter best suited to setting golfers the fiercest possible test on the inward nine holes.
  6. Rooms or lodgings, especially those allocated to people in military or domestic service.
    • example - they lived in RAF married quarters
    • synonyms - accommodation, lodgings, rooms, chambers, place of residence, home, shelter
  7. Pity or mercy shown towards an enemy or opponent who is in one"s power.
    • example - the riot squad gave no quarter
    • synonyms - mercy, leniency, clemency, lenity, compassion, pity, charity, forbearance, indulgence, kindness, sympathy, tolerance
  8. Each of four or more roughly equal divisions of a shield separated by vertical and horizontal lines.
verb
  1. Divide into four equal or corresponding parts.
    • example - peel and quarter the bananas
  2. Be stationed or lodged in a specified place.
    • example - many were quartered in tents
    • synonyms - accommodate, house, board, lodge, give accommodation to, provide with accommodation, put up, take in, give a bed to, install, give a roof to, put a roof over someone"s head, shelter
  3. Range over or traverse (an area) in every direction.
    • example - we watched a pair of kingfishers quartering the river looking for minnows
    • synonyms - patrol, range over, tour, reconnoitre, traverse, survey, inspect, spy out, scout
  4. Display (different coats of arms) in quarters of a shield, especially to show arms inherited from heiresses who have married into the bearer"s family.
    • example - Edward III quartered the French royal arms with his own
/kwiːn/
noun
  1. The female ruler of an independent state, especially one who inherits the position by right of birth.
    • example - he insisted the princess could be crowned queen
    • synonyms - monarch, sovereign, head of state, ruler, Crown, Her Majesty
  2. The most powerful chess piece that each player has, able to move in any direction along a rank, file, or diagonal on which it stands.
    • example - As far as movement, he"s as versatile as the queen piece on a chess board.
  3. A playing card bearing a representation of a queen, normally ranking next below a king and above a jack.
    • example - You should generally try to avoid playing aces, kings, queens and jacks except when capturing or building with them.
  4. A reproductive female in a colony of social ants, bees, wasps, or termites, frequently the only one present in a colony.
    • example - We present data on reproductive partitioning among queens in the ant Leptothorax rugatulus with special emphasis on relatedness and body size.
  5. An adult female cat that has not been spayed.
    • synonyms - feline
  6. A gay man, especially one regarded as ostentatiously effeminate.
    • synonyms - gay person, lesbian, gay
verb
  1. Behave in an unpleasantly superior way towards (someone)
    • example - Monique was queening it over everybody
  2. Convert (a pawn) into a queen when it reaches the opponent"s back rank on the board.
    • example - A Slav drawn in 22 moves after a short burst of excitement where Kramnik gave up his queen, then queened a pawn to re-establish material equality.
/ˈkwɛstʃ(ə)n/
noun
  1. A sentence worded or expressed so as to elicit information.
    • example - we hope this leaflet has been helpful in answering your questions
    • synonyms - inquiry, query
  2. A matter requiring resolution or discussion.
    • example - the question of local government funding worried ministers
    • synonyms - subject, subject matter, theme, issue, matter, point, talking point, question, concern, argument, discussion, thesis, text, concept, field, area, keynote, leitmotif
verb
  • Ask (someone) questions, especially in an official context.
    • example - four men were being questioned about the killings
    • synonyms - interrogate, ask questions of, put questions to, cross-examine, cross-question, quiz, probe, canvass, catechize, interview, debrief, sound out, examine, give the third degree to
/kjuː/
noun
  1. A line or sequence of people or vehicles awaiting their turn to be attended to or to proceed.
    • example - Upon the group"s return a queue of vehicles had lined up to go across the river.
    • synonyms - line, row, column, file, chain, string, stream
  2. A list of data items, commands, etc., stored so as to be retrievable in a definite order, usually the order of insertion.
    • example - A bitmap indicates which queues are not empty, and the individual queues are FIFO lists.
  3. A plait of hair worn at the back.
    • example - Chinese men were forced to braid their long hair into a queue or ‘pigtail’.
verb
  1. Take one"s place in a queue.
    • example - in the war they had queued for food
    • synonyms - line up, form lines, get into columns, get into rows, fall in, file, move in line, walk in line
  2. Arrange in a queue.
    • example - input or output requests to a file are queued by the operating system
/kwɪk/
adjective
  1. Moving fast or doing something in a short time.
    • example - in the qualifying session he was two seconds quicker than his teammate
    • synonyms - fast, swift, rapid, speedy, high-speed, expeditious
  2. Prompt to understand, think, or learn; intelligent.
    • example - it was quick of him to spot the mistake
    • synonyms - intelligent, bright, clever, gifted, able, brilliant, astute, quick-witted, sharp-witted, ready, quick off the mark
adverb
  • At a fast rate; quickly.
noun
  1. The soft tender flesh below the growing part of a fingernail or toenail.
    • example - You"ll enjoy the movie if your idea of a good time is sitting glued to the edge of your seat chewing your fingernails down to the quick.
  2. Those who are living.
    • example - the quick and the dead
  3. A fast bowler.
/ˈkwɪkli/
adverb
  • At a fast speed; rapidly.
    • example - Reg"s illness progressed frighteningly quickly
    • synonyms - fast, swiftly, rapidly, speedily, at high speed, with all speed, at speed, at full speed, at the speed of light, at full tilt, as fast as one"s legs can carry one, at a gallop, briskly, at the double, post-haste, with all possible haste, like a whirlwind, like an arrow from a bow, at breakneck speed, expeditiously, madly, hotfoot, with dispatch
/ˈkwʌɪət/
adjective
  1. Making little or no noise.
    • example - the car has a quiet, economical engine
    • synonyms - silent, still, hushed, noiseless, soundless
  2. Carried out discreetly, secretly, or with moderation.
    • example - we wanted a quiet wedding
    • synonyms - private, confidential, secret, discreet, unofficial, off the record, between ourselves, between you and me, between you and me and the bedpost, between you and me and the doorpost, between you and me and the gatepost, between you and me and the wall
noun
  • Absence of noise or bustle; silence; calm.
    • example - the ringing of the telephone shattered the early morning quiet
    • synonyms - tranquillity, stillness, calmness, quiet, quietness, quietude, peace, peacefulness, serenity, silence, hush
verb
  • Make or become silent, calm, or still.
    • example - there are ways of quieting kids down
    • synonyms - silence, make quieter, hush, shush, quiet, still
/ˈkwʌɪətli/
adverb
  • In a quiet manner.
    • example - he worked quietly and diligently
    • synonyms - silently, in silence, noiselessly, soundlessly, inaudibly
/kwɪt/
verb
  1. Leave (a place), usually permanently.
    • example - hippies finally quit two sites in Hampshire last night
    • synonyms - leave, go away from, depart from, vacate, evacuate, move out of, exit from, withdraw from, abandon, desert
  2. Behave in a specified way.
adjective
  • Rid of.
/kwʌɪt/
adverb
  1. To the utmost or most absolute extent or degree; absolutely; completely.
    • example - it"s quite out of the question
    • synonyms - completely, fully, entirely, totally, wholly, absolutely, utterly, outright, thoroughly, altogether, in every respect, in all respects, without reservation, without exception
  2. To a certain or fairly significant extent or degree; fairly.
    • example - it"s quite warm outside
    • synonyms - fairly, rather, somewhat, a bit, a little, slightly, relatively, comparatively, moderately, after a fashion, reasonably, to some degree, to some extent, to a certain extent
exclamation
  • Expressing agreement with or understanding of a remark or statement.
    • example - ‘I don"t want to talk about that now.’ ‘Quite’
    • synonyms - precisely, yes, right, that"s right, just so, quite so, quite, indeed, absolutely, truly, certainly, definitely, assuredly, undoubtedly, indubitably, without a doubt
/kwə(ʊ)ˈteɪʃ(ə)n/
noun
  1. A group of words taken from a text or speech and repeated by someone other than the original author or speaker.
    • example - a quotation from Mark Twain
    • synonyms - citation, quote, reference, mention, allusion, excerpt, extract, selection, passage, line, cutting, clip, clipping, snippet, reading, section, piece, part, fragment, portion, paragraph, verse, stanza, canto, sentence, phrase
  2. A formal statement setting out the estimated cost for a particular job or service.
    • example - ensure you receive a written quotation covering all aspects of the job
    • synonyms - estimate, estimated price, price, quote, tender, bid, cost, charge, rate, figure
  3. A registration granted to a company enabling their shares to be officially listed and traded.
    • example - the company is being refused a quotation on the New York Stock Exchange
/kwəʊt/
verb
  1. Repeat or copy out (words from a text or speech written or spoken by another person)
    • example - I realized she was quoting passages from Shakespeare
    • synonyms - recite, repeat, say again, reproduce, restate, retell, echo, iterate, parrot
  2. Give someone (the estimated price of a job or service)
    • example - a garage quoted him £30
    • synonyms - estimate, state, set, tender, bid, offer
  3. Give (a company) a quotation or listing on a stock exchange.
    • example - a British conglomerate quoted on the London Stock Exchange
noun
  1. A quotation from a text or speech.
    • example - a quote from Wordsworth
  2. A quotation giving the estimated cost for a particular job or service.
    • example - quotes from different insurance companies
    • synonyms - estimate, estimated price, price, quote, tender, bid, cost, charge, rate, figure
  3. A price offered by a market-maker for the sale or purchase of a stock or other security.
    • example - quotes for North Sea Brent were rising