▪ I. quilt, n.1
(kwɪlt)
Forms: α. 3 cowlte, pl. quoiltene, 4 qwylte, 4–5 quilte, 5 qu-, qvylte, (coylte), 5–6 quylt, 5– quilt. β. north. 5 qwhilte, wilt, wylt, 5–6 whilt(e. γ. 5–6 twilt, twylt.
[a. OF. cuilte (12th c.), coilte (later coite, coete, couete, mod. couette):—*colcta, *culcta:—L. culcita a stuffed sack, mattress, cushion, etc., whence also Sp. and Pg. colcha. Also OF. coute (later written couste, coulte):—*colta, *culta. The L. variant culcitra is represented by It. coltrice, OSp. colcedra, and its shortened form *culctra by It. coltre, Genevan coitre, couatre, OF. cotre.]
1. a. An article of bed-furniture, consisting essentially of two large pieces of woven material having a layer of some soft substance (such as wool, flock, or down) placed between them; originally, an article of this kind for lying on (now obs.); in later use, a coverlet of similar make, esp. one in which the lining is kept in place by stitches or lines of stitching passing through the whole (the mediæval quiltpoint or counterpoint, q.v.); hence, any thick outer bed-covering, a counterpane.
| c 1290 S. Eng. Leg. 188/125 Maketh a bed..Of quoiltene and of materasz. a 1300 Body & Soul in Map's Poems 334 Ȝwere beon..Thine cowltes and thi covertoures? c 1320 Sir Beues (MS. A.) 3996 Foure hondred beddes of selk echon, Quiltes of gold þar vpon. c 1450 Merlin 539 Thei lay down to slepe vpon the grasse for other quyltes ne pilowes hadde thei noon. 1454 Durham Acc. Rolls (Surtees) 148, ij qwhiltez..j whilte. 1477 in Ripon Ch. Acts (Surtees) 179 Unum twylt. 1489 Caxton Faytes of A. ii. xxxvi. 154 Coyltes or matrases or sacques. 1544 T. Phaer Regim. Lyfe (1553) A viij b, A coife, made of double linnen clothe, and sowed like a cotten quilt. 1626 Middleton Women Beware Women iii. i. 27 Never a green silk quilt is there..To cast upon my bed? 1692 Locke Educ. 23 Let his Bed be hard, and rather Quilts than Feathers. 1725 De Foe Voy. round World (1840) 237 The way of lodging upon quilts, and in beds..I need not describe. 1758 Johnson Idler No. 13 ¶8 We have..three flourished quilts for every bed. 1852 Mrs. Smythies Bride Elect xxv, She threw herself on her knees by her bed side, and hid her face in the quilt. |
b. transf. A thick covering († or soft bed). † Also humorously applied to a fat person.
| 1596 Shakes. 1 Hen. IV, iv. ii. 54 How now blowne Jack? how now Quilt? 1693 Evelyn De la Quint. Compl. Gard. II. 92 You must lay a finger thick of Moss upon those Shelves, which may serve, as it were for a kind of Quilt. 1801 Wolcott (P. Pindar) Tears & Smiles Wks. 1812 V. 58 To hide their slumbering heads beneath Those downy quilts, their wings. 1863 Baring-Gould Iceland 115 The dull quilt of cloud obscuring the sun. |
c. The material of or for a quilt; quilting.
| 1766 W. Gordon Gen. Counting-ho. 427, 1 piece yard-wide quilt. |
d. A layer of warm, thick material placed over the frames of a bee-hive to prevent draughts and contain the bees.
| 1870 Amer. Bee Jrnl. June 258/2 We finally had some little quilts (or whatever you choose to call them) made, and they answer admirably. 1873 Brit. Bee Jrnl. Nov. 100/1 His quilts, for so they are called by him, are laid close to the tops of the frames; they are not sufficiently heavy to crush the bees, even if laid directly on them, and they mould themselves to any possible condition. 1904 J. R. G. Digges Irish Bee Guide 50 Sheets and Quilts are required upon the frames or supers to preserve heat; to prevent draught; and to keep the bees from ascending into the roof... The quilts should be of felt, carpet, or other warm material. 1927 Chambers's Jrnl. XVII. 91/2 Place between the tops of the frames containing the combs and the bottom ‘quilt’ or cover two strips of wood an inch or two apart. 1952 H. Mace Bee-Keeper's Handbk. i. 15 Although many bee-keepers still use quilts, an increasing number have returned to an improved form of Crown board. 1962 A. S. C. Deans Bees & Beekeeping x. 66 November. Carry out a periodic inspection of all hives to make sure that mice have not settled under the roofs and on top of the quilts if crown boards are not in use. |
2. A piece of padded material used to defend the body, as a substitute or lining for armour.
| 1592 W. Wyrley Armorie, Capitall de Buz 127 No hardned steele, no quilt, no warped meale Could make resist. 1625 K. Long tr. Barclay's Argenis ii. vii. 84 The inside of the Bracelet..being lined with a silken quilt, next to his arme. 1791 Cowper Iliad iv. 219 The hauberk, and the tough interior quilt..its force repress'd. 1870 Bryant Homer I. iv. 111 The plated quilt which next his skin The hero wore. |
† 3. A pad smeared or stuffed with a medicinal substance, and applied to some part of the body.
| 1601 Holland Pliny II. 339 The same rennet applied as a cataplasme vpon a quilt of wooll. 1626 Bacon Sylva §56 The Quilts of Roses, Spices,..&c. are nothing so helpfull as to take a Cake of New bread. 1684 tr. Bonet's Merc. Compit. iii. 68 Concerning Quilts and Caps..such as are made of very strong scented things do affect the Head. |
4. The interior of a cricket ball (see quot. 1921).
| 1882 Baily's Mag. Nov. 391, I took up the inside of a [cricket] ball just newly finished..and laid it on a bench, and hammered it with a wooden mallet, which rebounded without making the slightest impression on the substance which is called ‘the quilt’. 1921 Dict. Occup. Terms (1927) §688 Quilter.., wraps worsted thread, by hand, round a cork to make quilt, or core, of cricket ball. |
5. attrib. and Comb. a. objective gen., as quilt-maker, quilt-manufacturer; † b. = quilted, as quilt-cap, quilt-nightgown, quilt-work.
| c 1515 Cocke Lorell's B. 9 Quylte makers, shermen, and armorers. 1623 T. Goad Dolef. Euen. Song 7 Hee..put vpon his head a red quilt cap, hauing a linnen white one vnder it. 1676 Lond. Gaz. No. 1081/4 Also Six Holland Shifts..one Quilt Night Gown. 1709 Ibid. No. 4559/4 Michael Scott of Fetter-lane,..Quilt-maker. |
▪ II. quilt, n.2 dial. ? Obs.
[Related to quilt v.2]
The swallowing-point of the throat.
| a 1722 Lisle Husb. (1757) 347 (E.D.S.) He puts them down the calf's throat beyond the quilt. |
▪ III. quilt, v.1
(kwɪlt)
Also 6 quilte, 6 (9 dial.) twilt(e.
[f. quilt n.1]
1. a. trans. To pad, line, or cover (a thing) with some material, after the method employed in making a quilt, or in some similar way.
| 1555 J. Proctor Hist. Wyat's Rebellion 35 A priuie cote that he had quilted with angels. 1577 Harrison England ii. xvi. (1877) i. 279 Jackes quilted and couered ouer with leather. 1626 Bacon Sylva §56 A Bagge quilted with Bran, is likewise very good. 1682 Wheler Journ. Greece i. 16 Course Ticking-Cloth, well quilted with Wool. 1712 Arbuthnot John Bull (1727) 82 Mayn't I quilt my rope? It galls my neck strangely. 1828 Scott F.M. Perth iv, His black velvet bonnet was lined with steel, quilted between the metal and his head. 1869 Trollope He knew, etc. xxxvi. (1878) 205, I am quilting your cap. |
| transf. and fig. 1630 Dekker 2nd Pt. Honest Wh. Wks. 1873 II. 149 Ile so quilt your cap with old Iron, that your coxcombe shall ake the worse these seuen yeeres for 't. 1650 Fuller Pisgah v. xxi. 184 Long standing tents were quilted with timber, for their stronger support. a 1678 Marvell Upon Appleton House 422 The plain Lyes quilted ore with bodies slain. 1808 Scott Marm. v. iii, His steel-jack, a swarthy vest, With iron quilted well. 1924 R. Campbell Flaming Terrapin v. 75 The lilies..quilted the land with snow. 1930 ― Adamastor 79 The gorgeous Ram..whose great pelt is rolled To quilt a thousand hills with fire. |
b. To cover with interlaced cord; spec. with a ball as object.
| c 1611 Chapman Iliad x. 230 His helmit fashion'd of a hide; the workman did bestow Much labour in it, quilting it with bowstrings. 1776 [see quilting vbl. n. 1]. 1802 James Milit. Dict. s.v. Laboratory, With a strong pack⁓thread the whole is quilted to keep the shot from moving. 1838 Dickens Old C. Shop (C.D. ed.) 197 A short pipe quilted over with string. 1886 W. H. Long Dict. Isle of Wight Dial. 53 Quilt,..to cover a ball with a network of twine. |
2. a. To fasten together (two pieces or thicknesses of woven material) by stitches or lines of stitching, so as to hold in position a layer of some soft substance placed between them. Also, to sew (several thicknesses) together, usually by stitches arranged in some regular or decorative pattern.
| 1555 Eden Decades 79 The mens [apparell] is double and quilted. 1599 A. M. tr. Gabelhouer's Bk. Physicke 96/1 Quilte the bagge least the herbes sacke the one vpon the other. 1615 Markham Eng. Housew. ii. i. (1668) 12 Quilt it in a manner of a course imbroydery. 1727 Swift Gulliver i. viii, By quilting thirteen fold of their strongest linnen together. 1794 W. Felton Carriages (1801) II. 16 Quilting the lining [of a Coach] with small tufts. 1870 Rock Text. Fabr. i. 14 Skirt of a Lady's Dress..quilted round the lower border with a scroll. |
| transf. 1593 Nashe 4 Lett. Confut. 63 Thy Father..had neuer the art to twilt vp such a grim triangle of hair as that. |
b. intr. To admit of being sewn as a quilt.
| 1622 Markham 5 Decades War x. 38 Buckram..is too stiffe and unplyable, by which means it will not quilt like the other. |
c. fig. To compile (a literary work) by putting together scraps from various sources; to join together (extracts) as in a quilt.
In some cases the reference is to a patchwork quilt: cf. quilted 2.
| 1605 Camden Rem. (1636) 14 It's quilted as it were out of shreds of divers Poets. 1649 Milton Eikon. i. Wks. (1851) 344 Manuals, and Handmaids of Devotion,..clapt together and quilted out of Scripture phrases. 1891 Rev. of Rev. 510/2 Mrs. Ross quilts together numerous extracts. |
d. To mark or seam with points or lines resembling the stitching in a quilt.
| 1760 Goldsm. Cit. W. xlvi, A hateful phiz, quilted into a thousand seams by the hand of deformity. 1808 Sketches of Character (1813) I. 164 ‘Poor Amelia!’ cried Mrs. Pytt, ‘she's terribly quilted’ [with smallpox]. |
3. To sew up (some object or material) between two pieces of stuff, as in making a quilt.
| 1562 W. Bullein Bk. Simples (1579) 65 The Nutmegge..is holsome in plasters for the stomacke, quilted in Leather and Sylke. 1634 T. Johnson Parey's Chirurg. xxvi. xxxix. (1678) 656 The powders..must be sewed up or quilted in a bag of Linnen or Taffaty. 1695 Blackmore Pr. Arth. ix. 361 Those that..were found too light Quilt Lead into their Belts to give them weight. 1745 Byrom Rem. (1857) 410 He had three guineas quilted in the flap of his waistcoat. 1891 W. D. Hamilton Pref. St. Papers, Dom. Ser. 1645–47 p. ix, These secret despatches..were carried by a woman quilted up in a truss of linen. |
| fig. 1642 Sir E. Dering Sp. on Relig. 54 Some of the Protestant [Bishops] doe quilt a gentler sence into these words. |
4. intr. To make a quilt or quilts. U.S.
| 1861 Mrs. Stowe Pearl Orr's Isl. 21 Miss Roxy and Miss Ruey..could upholster and quilt. 1882 C. D. Warner Washington Irving iii. 32 A number of girls were quilting. |
▪ IV. quilt, v.2 dial.
(kwɪlt)
Also quilty.
[Of unknown origin: current in most S. and S.W. dialects.]
trans. and intr. To swallow.
| a 1658 Cleveland Obsequies 52 With as intens'd a Zeal, As Saints upon a fast Night quilt a Meal. 1864 Blackmore Clara Vaughan (1872) 49, I learned that to ‘quilty’ is the proper English for to ‘swallow’. 1893 Wiltsh. Gloss., Quilt, to swallow..used of swallowing in the natural way, while glutch is to swallow with difficulty. |
▪ V. quilt, v.3 dial. and U.S.
(kwɪlt)
Also twilt.
[Perh. a transf. use of quilt v.1, originating in the common phr. to quilt one's jacket (cf. quilt v.1 1, quot. 1630 fig.).]
a. trans. To beat, thrash, flog. dial., U.S., and Austral.
| 1836 Haliburton Clockm. Ser. i. xix. (1837) 195 Your Cumberland critters,..the more you quilt them, the more they wont go. 1852 R. S. Surtees Sponge's Sp. Tour iii. 10 [He] quilted the old crocodile of a horse all the way. 1945 Baker Austral. Lang. 120 One of the inevitable consequences..has been the development of an extensive vocabulary of fighting terms. Here are some of the best..roll into, vacuum, quilt and stoush a person. 1973 D. Stuart Morning Star Evening Star 111 More than one bloke I've seen Joe quilt good and proper for trying to make a joke of it. |
b. Cricket. To hit (the ball, bowling, etc.) about the field with great force, usu. for a sustained period of time.
| 1866 Baily's Mag. Feb. 92 Mr Lyttleton had an early taste of the lobs; these he quilted awfully. 1867 J. Lillywhite's Cricketers' Compan. 69 That punishing bats-man, Mr. Lucas, ‘quilted’ the Colts' bowling tremendously. 1897 K. S. Ranjitsinhji Jubilee Bk. Cricket ii. 56 A batsman may get bowled first ball, a bowler may be quilted all over the field without getting a wicket, but both can redeem themselves by good fielding. |