▪ I. quarrel, n.1
(ˈkwɒrəl)
Forms: 3 pl. quarreaus, 4–5 quarelle, 4–6 quarel, (4 qwarel, 5 quarele, -eyll, wharle, 6 quar'le), 5–6 quarell, (6 quer-), 6–7 quarrell, (6 -elle), 6– quarrel.
[a. OF. quarel, quarrel (quaral, caral, etc., pl. quarriaus, quareus), later quarriau, -eau, mod.F. carreau, = Prov. cairel, It. quadrello, Sp. cuadrillo, med.L. quadrellus, dim. of Prov. caire, It. quadro, (Sp. cu-), med.L. quadrus a square: cf. quadrel.]
1. A short, heavy, square-headed arrow or bolt, formerly used in shooting with the cross-bow or arbalest.
| a 1225 Ancr. R. 62 Þeo hwile þet me mit quarreaus..asaileð þene castel. 1340 Ayenb. 71 Al hit ys ywent wel raþre þan..quarel of arblaste. c 1400 Destr. Troy 4743 The Grekes..Whappet in wharles, whellit the pepull. 1483 Caxton Gold. Leg. 314 b/2 A sowne lyke as a quarel had be shotte out of Arbalaste or a crosse bowe. 1540 Act 33 Hen. VIII, c. 6 Crossebowes..ready furnished with quarelles. 1590 Spenser F.Q. ii. xi. 33 Now had the Carle..his hands Discharged of his bow and deadly quar'le. 1750 Carte Hist. Eng. II. 463 The Genoese..let fly their quarrels when they imagined themselves to be within a proper distance. 1846 Greener Sc. Gunnery 4 It is said of the cross-bow, that a quarrel could be projected from them 200 yards. |
| attrib. 1412–20 Lydg. Chron. Troy ii. xi, Dartes daggers..And quarrelheades sharpe & square yground. 1600 Holland Livy xxi. xi. 400 Ordinance of quarell shot, brakes, and other artillerie. |
b. dial. (See quot.)
| 1840 Spurdens East-Anglian Words (E.D.S.), Quarrel, a kind of bird-bolt, with a lozenge-shaped head; now only used by rook-bolters for beating down rooks' nests. |
† 2. A square needle. Also attrib. Obs. rare.
| 1496 Bk. St. Albans, Fishing H iij, For smalle fysshe ye shall make your hokes of the smalest quarell nedlys that ye can fynde of stele, & in this wyse. Ye shall put the quarell in a redde charkcole fyre [etc.]. |
3. A square or (more usually) diamond-shaped pane of glass, of the kind used in making lattice-windows. Now rare exc. dial. (Cf. quarry n.3 2.)
| 1447 in Parker Gloss. Archit. (1850) 290 Every windowe conteineth vi lights..Item all the katurs, quarrells, and oylements. 1507 in Gage Suffolk 143 Setting vp of white Normandy glas, oon rowe of quarrells white. 1542 Boorde Dyetary viii. (1870) 249 Let your skynner cut both..the skynnes in smale peces tryangle wyse, lyke halfe a quarel of a glase wyndow. 1589 Puttenham Eng. Poesie (Arb.) 106 The Lozange is..a quadrangle reuerst, with his point vpward like to a quarrell of glasse. 1669 Boyle Contn. New Exp. i. (1682) 25 Some plates of glass such as are used for making the Quarrels of Windows. 1711 C. Lockyer Trade in India vi. 164 Oyster-shells fixt Diamond-wise in wooden Frames, instead of Glass, which look something like our small, old fashion'd Quarrels. 1828 Craven Gloss., Quarrel, a square of glass. 1879 Cassell's Techn. Educ. ix. 145/2 The colour..of the quarrels in the original window is a light bluish-green. |
| attrib. 1820 Scott Abbot xxxiv, A quarrel pane of glass in the turret window. |
† 4. A square tile. Obs. rare. (Cf. quarry n.3 3.)
| 1601 Holland Pliny II. 596 The manner of pauing with smal tiles or quarrels ingrauen. 1610 ― Camden's Brit. i. 511 The pauements wrought Checker wise with small square quarels. |
5. techn. a. A glazier's diamond (1807 Douce Illustr. Shaksp. I. 181). b. A four-sided graver (Ogilvie, 1882). c. A stonemason's chisel (ibid.).
▪ II. quarrel, n.2 Obs. exc. north. dial.
Forms: 5 qwaryle, qvar-, qverelle, qwharrell, 5–6 quarel, (5 -ell), 6 qwarrel, Sc. querill, querrell, 7, 9 quarrel, 9 wharrel, wharl.
[Alteration of quarer, quarrer, perh. after prec.]
1. A place from which stone, etc., is obtained. = quarry n.2
| 14.. Nom. in Wr.-Wülcker 737/3 Hoc saxifragium, a qwaryle. 1483 Cath. Angl. 296/1 A Qvarelle of stone (A. Querelle of stane), lapidicina. 1500–18 Acc. Louth Steeple in Archæologia X. 71 Riding to the quarrel for stone. 1513 Douglas æneis i. vii. 22 Wtheris..the huge pillaris greit Out of the querillis can to hew and beit. 1802 Louth Corpor. Acc. (1891) 55 That the Market for Sheep and Pigs shall be removed..to some place in the Quarrell. 1828 Craven Gloss., Quarrel, a quarry. 1873 Swaledale Gloss., Wharrel, a quarry. 1899 Cumbld. Gloss., Wharl, a stone quarry; a disused quarry. Seldom heard. |
† b. Sc. The stone or other material obtained by quarrying. Also pl. Obs.
| 1536 Bellenden Cron. Scot. (1821) I. 251 He thirllit thaim..to win metteleis, querrellis, and to mak tild. 1661–73 Ld. Fountainhall in M. P. Brown Suppl. Decis. (1826) II. 535 (Jam.) To dig, win, work, and carry away coals, limestone, clay, quarrell. |
2. attrib. as quarrel head, quarrel hole, quarrel man, quarrel mell, quarrel stone.
| c 1460 Towneley Myst. ii. 367 When I am dede, bery me in gudeboure at the quarell hede. 1472 Durham Acc. Rolls (Surtees) 245, j qwharrellmell. 1513 Douglas æneis viii. iv. 149 All kynd of wapynnis..Wyth branchis rent of treis, and quarrell stanis Of huge wecht. 1535 Lyndesay Satyre 3061, I lent my gossop my mear..And he hir drounit into the querrell hollis. a 1572 Knox Hist. Ref. Wks. 1846 I. 379 At the Querrell Hollis, betuix Leyth and Edinburght. 1571 Wills & Inv. N.C. (Surtees 1860) 351 John Heworthe of gatisheid..Quarelman. |
▪ III. quarrel, n.3
(ˈkwɒrəl)
Forms: 4 querele, 4–5 (6) querel, 5 qwerell(e, 6 querel(l, 6–7 Sc. quer(r)ell; 4–5 quarele, 5 qv-, quarelle, 5–6 quarell, (5 qw-), 5–7 quarel, 6 quarrel, 6–7 -ell).
[a. OF. querele, -elle:—L. querēla, -ella complaint, f. querī to complain. The spelling quar(r)- was the prevailing one by Caxton's time; later examples of quer(r)- are chiefly Sc.: see also querele.]
† 1. A complaint; esp. a complaint against a person; hence in Law: an accusation or charge; an action or suit. Obs.
| c 1374 Chaucer Boeth. iii. pr. iii. 55 (Camb. MS.) For whennes comyn elles alle thyse foreyne compleyntes or quereles of pletynges [L. forenses querimoniæ]. c 1400 Destr. Troy v. heading, Of the Qwerell of Kyng Priam for his Fader dethe. 1454 Rolls Parlt. V. 258/2 In all maner Actions..suytes, quereles and demandes. 1483 Caxton Gold. Leg. 219/2 They sayd wyth swete and deuout quarelles why she suffred her deuoute seruaunte to dye wythout confessyon. 1535 Coverdale Acts xxv. 7 Y⊇ Iewes..broughte vp many and greuous quarels agaynst Paul. 1583 Exec. for Treason (1675) 13 None of them have been sought hitherto to be impeached in any point or quarrel of Treason. 1641 Termes de la Ley 230 b, Qvarels..extendeth not onely to actions..but also to the causes of actions & suits. |
2. A ground or occasion of complaint against a person, leading to hostile feeling or action; a cause for which one person has unfriendly or unfavourable feelings towards another; also, the state or course of hostility resulting from such ground of complaint. Const. against, † to, later with. Now rare. to pick a quarrel: see pick v.
| 1340 Ayenb. 83 Ine oþre quereles huanne me mysnymþ [it may be amended]..ac errour ine batayle ne may naȝt by amended. 1390 Gower Conf. III. 303 Love hath mad him a querele Ayein hire youthe friissh and frele. c 1400 Destr. Troy 1763 To qwit claym all querels, & be qweme fryndes. 1489 Caxton Faytes of A. i. xviii. 52 What theyre herte sayth of the quarell and what wylle they haue for to fyght. 1526 Tindale Col. iii. 13 Forgevynge one another (if eny man have a quarrell to a nother). 1603 Knolles Hist. Turks (1621) 306 Although they be in number moe than you, yet are they in hope, quarrell and strength, farre inferiour. a 1633 Austin Medit. (1635) 249 The Devill hath the same Quarrell to us Men, that hee had to Christ. 1655 Fuller Ch. Hist. ii. v. §43 Ethelred..with whom Dunstan had a quarrel from his cradle. 1749 Fielding Tom Jones xv. vii, All the quarrel the squire hath to me is for taking your part. 1760–72 H. Brooke Fool of Qual. (1809) I. 32, I have no quarrel, I cried, to the high and mighty. |
b. With possessive pron., or genitive: One's cause, side, or party in a complaint or contest; † one's claim to a thing.
| 1380 Lay Folks Catech. 1287 Hertely in godes querel to withstonde..in al þat we may. 1390 Gower Conf. I. 29 That he wol take the querele Of holy cherche in his defence. c 1440 Generydes 3536 Off all this land I geve vppe my quarell. c 1489 Caxton Blanchardyn xxxiv. 126 He was aduertysed..of the cause & quarelle of Blanchardyn. 1593 Shakes. 2 Hen. VI, iii. ii. 233 Thrice is he arm'd, that hath his Quarrell iust. 1697 Dryden Virg. Georg. iv. 318 When their Sov'reign's Quarrel calls 'em out, His Foes to mortal Combat they defie. 1755 Young Centaur i. Wks. 1757 IV. 124 The..heart commands the..head, to fight its unjust quarrel, and say it is its own. 1808 Scott Life Dryden in D.'s Wks. (1882) I. 172 Were a nobleman to have recourse to hired bravoes to avenge his personal quarrel against any one. 1892 Stevenson Across the Plains xii. 313 In our own quarrel we can see nothing truly. |
c. With adjs., specifying the justice or other aspect of the cause or ground of contention. † of great quarrel: of importance.
| c 1380 Wyclif Sel. Wks. III. 323 Alle mysdoeris..meyntenen a fals quarele aȝenst God and his seyntis. 1456 Sir G. Haye Law Arms (S.T.S.) 73 Oft tymes..he that has gude rycht tynis the felde, and the wrang querele wynnis. a 1533 Ld. Berners Huon xlix. 164 By a iust quarell ye may go and make warre vpon hym. 1590 T. Heneage in Lett. Lit. Men (Camden) 48 Her Highness dowteth that yt may breed discredyt to dyvers of great quarrell. 1651 Hobbes Leviath. ii. xix. 97 Sufficient provision being taken, against all just quarrell. 1715–20 Pope Iliad iii. 309 Perhaps their swords some nobler quarrel draws. a 1806 K. White Christmas-Day 10 Me higher quarrel calls, with loudest song. 1863 Ruskin Arrows of Chace (1880) II. 25, I would have the country go to war, with haste, in a good quarrel. |
† d. transf. Cause, reason, ground, plea. Obs.
| 1456 Sir G. Haye Law Arms (S.T.S.) 184 The King of France has querele to mak were apon the King of Ungary. 1476 J. Paston in P. Lett. III. 164 Then he shold be swer that I shold not be flyttyng, and I had syche a qwarell to kepe me at home. 1545 R. Ascham Toxoph. To Gentlem. Eng. (Arb.) 20 A fletcher hath euen as good a quarell to be angry with an archer. 1607–12 Bacon Ess., Marriage (Arb.) 270 So as a Man may have a quarrell to marrye when he will. 1633 Bp. Hall Hard Texts, N.T. 142 Judas of Galilee,..upon the quarrell of the Taxes laid by Cæsar..made an insurrection. |
† 3. An objection, opposition, dislike or aversion to a thing. Obs.
| 1581 W. Stafford Exam. Compl. Pref., I haue indeuoured in fewe wordes to answere certayne quarells and obiections dayly and ordinarily occurrent in the talke of sundry men. 1601 Holland Pliny II. 249 In the disease Tinesmus (which is an inordinat quarrell to the stool). 1654–66 Earl of Orrery Parthen. (1676) 567 It created a general quarrel to Fortune. 1720 Lady Landsdown in Lett. C'tess Suffolk (1824) I. 70, I..shall be tempted to have a quarrel to matrimony. |
b. Const. with (as in 2 and 4).
| 1726 Swift Gulliver iii. iv, What quarrel I had with the dress or looks of his domestics? |
4. A violent contention or altercation between persons, or of one person with another; a rupture of friendly relations.
| 1572 Huloet, Quarell, controuersia, contentio, jurgium [etc.]. 1596 Shakes. Merch. V. v. i. 238, I am th' vnhappy subiect of these quarrels. ― Tam. Shr. i. ii. 27 Rise Grumio rise, we will compound this quarrell. 1639 T. Brugis tr. Camus' Mor. Relat. 211 A man very valiant of his hands, but hot brained, he had had many quarrels. 1717 Lady M. W. Montagu Let. to Pope 12 Feb., I was very uneasy till they were parted, fearing some quarrel might arise. 1769 Blackstone Comm. iv. xiv. 191 If upon a sudden quarrel two persons fight, and one of them kills the other, this is manslaughter. 1818 Scott Rob Roy x, He will take care to avoid a quarrel..with any of the natives. 1838 Thirlwall Greece V. 265 The quarrels between the Phocians and their Locrian neighbours. 1876 Mozley Univ. Serm. x. (1877) 204 People rush into quarrels from simple violence and impetuosity of temper. |
† b. Quarrelling; quarrelsomeness. Obs. rare.
| 1604 Shakes. Oth. ii. iii. 52 He'l be as full of Quarrell, and offence As my yong Mistris dogge. 1605 Bacon Adv. Learn. i. vii. §2 All beasts..forgetting their severall appetites; some of pray, some of game, some of quarrell. |
5. Comb. as quarrel-breeder.
| 1611 Cotgr., Sursemeur de noises, a make-bate, firebrand of contention, quarrell-breeder. |
▪ IV. quarrel, v.
(ˈkwɒrəl)
Forms: 4 querele, 6 -el(l, quarel, 6–7 quar(r)ell, (7 Sc. querrell), 7– quarrel.
[In Gower, a. OF. quereler (F. quereller), f. querele (see prec.): in later use prob. f. the n.]
1. intr. To raise a complaint, protest, or objection; to find fault; to take exception. a. Const. with. Phr. to quarrel with one's bread and butter: to give up a means of livelihood for insufficient reasons.
| 1390 Gower Conf. III. 192 With that word the king quereleth And seith: Non is above me. 1605 Bacon Adv. Learn. i. iv. 6 If you take out every axiom..one by one, you may quarrel with them..at your pleasure. 1671 Milton Samson 60, I must not quarrel with the will Of highest dispensation. 1752 J. Gill Trinity iv. 81, I cannot see why any should quarrel with our translation. 1780 Craig Mirror No. 69 ¶1 How did she show superior sense by thus quarrelling with her bread and butter? 1894 H. Drummond Ascent Man 265 We cannot quarrel with the principle in..Nature which condemns to death the worst. |
| transf. 1830 J. G. Strutt Sylva Brit. 82 It [the Chesnut] quarrels with no soil assigned to it. |
† b. Const. at. Obs.
| 1585 W. Lambard in Camden's Lett. (1691) 29 This is all that I can quarrel at; and yet have I pried so far as I could. a 1662 Heylin Laud (1668) 142 Which Clause..was now quarrel'd at by the Puritan Faction. 1725 De Foe Voy. round World (1840) 26 The whole weight of their resentment seemed to tend to quarrelling at my command. |
† c. absol. or with that. Obs. rare.
| 1555 Eden Decades 125 For all this were not the enemies satisfyed: querelinge that this thynge was doone by sum slyght. 1563 Foxe A. & M. (1684) 865 To thintent to appeale, and..to querell vnder the..moste effectuall way. |
2. intr. To contend violently, fall out, break off friendly relations, become inimical or hostile. Const. with (a person), over, for, or about (a thing).
| 1530 Palsgr. 676/2, I quarell with one, I pycke a mater to hym to fall out with hym. 1597 Hooker Eccl. Pol. v. lxxiv. §1 Those [heretiques] which doe nothing else but quarrell. 1697 Dryden Virg. Georg. ii. 638 Wine urg'd to lawless Lust the Centaurs Train, Thro' Wine they quarrell'd. 1728 T. Sheridan Persius iii. (1739) 41 Quarrel for your Mince-meat, and refuse the Lullaby. 1829 Lytton Devereux ii. v, She quarrelled with me for supping with St. John. 1868 Mayne Reid White Squaw xxviii. 133 Ere long they [sc. wolves] could be seen skulking through the enclosure and quarrelling over the corpses. 1875 Jowett Plato (ed. 2) V. 48 Having abundance of pasture..they would have nothing to quarrel about. 1883 G. Moore Mod. Lover I. xii. 244 Here a group of Cupids quarrelled over some masks and arrows. 1939 G. B. Shaw In Good King Charles's Golden Days 24 She has put us to shame for quarrelling over a matter of which we know nothing. 1961 Middle East Jrnl. XV. 3 The Istiqlal quarreled over foreign policy, labor politics and economic development. |
| fig. 1610 Shakes. Temp. iii. i. 45 Some defect in her Did quarrell with the noblest grace she ow'd. |
† 3. trans. To claim contentiously. Obs. rare.
| 1579 Fenton Guicciard. 252 Ferdinand..had alwayes secretly quarrelled that title as lawfully apperteining to the crowne of Aragon. 1596 Danett tr. Comines (1614) 241 The Emperors daughter was restored vnto him, and the countie of Artois together with all the townes he quarrelled. |
† 4. To dispute, call in question, object to (an act, word, etc.); to challenge the validity or correctness of. Obs. (Freq. in 17th c.)
| 1609 Tourneur Fun. Poeme Sir F. Vere 491 If malignant censure quarrels it. 1644 Prynne & Walker Fiennes's Trial 4 The Lords Orders being not only quarrelled, but contemned by those who were to bail him. 1699 Collier 2nd Def. (1730) 326 This fine Phrase puts me in mind of his quarrelling a Sentence of mine for want..of Syntax. 1745 Ruddiman Vind. Buchanan 310 (Jam.), I hope you will not quarrel the words, for they are all Virgil's. 1786 Burns On Naething v, Some quarrel the Presbyter gown, Some quarrel Episcopal graithing. |
5. To find fault with (a person); to reprove angrily. Obs. exc. Sc. (Freq. in 17th c.)
| 1598 B. Jonson Ev. Man in Hum. ii. i, I had quarrell'd My brother purposely. 1621 J. Reynolds God's Rev. agst. Murder i. i. 5 Quarrelling his taylor for the fashion of his clothes. 1688 S. Penton Guard. Instruct. (1897) 47 Quarrelling the poor man for not coming sooner. 1728 Wodrow Corr. (1843) III. 363 He ought not to be quarrelled for his opinions. c 1817 Hogg Tales & Sk. (1837) III. 344 They might kill a good many without being quarrelled for it. 1897 Crockett Lads' Love xiii. 140 It was my fault..I quarrelled her, I angered her. |
† 6. With complement: To force or bring by quarrelling. Obs.
| 1610 B. Jonson Alch. iv. iv, You must quarrel him out o' the house. 1655 Fuller Ch. Hist. iii. xi. §2 Many English Bishops..fearing by degrees they should all be quarrelled out of their places..fled into Scotland. 1655 ― Hist. Camb. (1840) 159 How easy was it for covetousness, in those ticklish times, to quarrel the College lands into superstition? 1678 Yng. Mans Call. 167 There are many..that quarrel themselves carnally to hell. |
Hence ˈquarrelled ppl. a. Also † ˈquarrellable a., capable of being called in question.
| 16.. in Peterkin Rentals Orkney iii. (1820) 14 (Jam. Suppl.) Quhilk gift is not confirmed..and so his right is most quarrallable. 1673 Ld. Fountainhall in M. P. Brown Suppl. Decis. (1826) III. 14 The said act of Parliament appoints these deeds to be quarrellable. 1820 J. Brown Hist. Brit. Ch. II. App. 7 The Antiburghers still continue upon their quarrelled constitution of Synod. |