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quarrel

noun
/ˈkwɒɹ(ə)l/UK/ˈkwɔɹəl/US/ˈkwɑɹəl/

Etymology

PIE word *kʷetwóres From Middle English quarrel (“bolt for an arbalest, crossbow, or siege engine; (figurative) seductive glance, temptation to sin; needle (possibly one square in cross-section); small (perhaps square-shaped) opening in window tracery; a cushion (perhaps square-shaped)”) [and other forms], from Anglo-Norman quarel, quarele, quarrel, Middle French quarrel, and Old French quarel, quarrel, carrel (“crossbow bolt; floor tile or paving stone (rectangular- or square-shaped); small glass pane for windows”) (modern French carreau (“crossbow bolt; a tile; windowpane; a square”)), from Late Latin quarellus, quadrellus (“crossbow bolt; paving stone; a tile”), from Latin quadrum (“a square; square section; regular shape or form”) + -ellus (variant of -ulus (suffix forming diminutive nouns, indicating small size or youth)). Quadrum is ultimately derived from quattuor (“four”), from Proto-Indo-European *kʷetwóres (“four”). Doublet of carreau.

  1. derived from *kʷetwóres✻ — “four”
  2. derived from quadrum — “a square; square section; regular shape or form”
  3. derived from quarellus
  4. derived from quarel
  5. derived from quarrel
  6. derived from quarel
  7. inherited from quarrel — “bolt for an arbalest, crossbow, or siege engine; (figurative) seductive glance, temptation to sin; needle (possibly one square in cross-section); small (perhaps square-shaped) opening in window tracery; a cushion (perhaps square-shaped)”

Definitions

  1. A dispute or heated argument (especially one that is verbal).

    • We got into a silly quarrel about what food to order.
    • And let a Man bevvare, hovv he keepeth Company, vvith Cholerick and Quarelſome Perſons; for they vvill engage him into their ovvne Quarels.
    • Quarrels would not last long, if the fault was only on one side.

  2. Often preceded by a form of to have

    Often preceded by a form of to have: a basis or ground of dispute or objection; a complaint; also, a feeling or situation of ill will and unhappiness caused by this.

    • A few customers in the shop had some quarrels with us, so we called for the manager.
    • I have no quarrel with her; it’s her partner whom I dislike.
    • I maruaile much my Lords what rage it is, That moues my people whom I loue ſo deare, Vnder a ſhow of quarrell good and iust, To riſe againſt vs thus in mutinies, […]

  3. A propensity to quarrel

    A propensity to quarrel; quarrelsomeness.

    • If I can faſten but one cup vpon him, / With that which he hath drunke to night already, / Hee'll be as full of quarrell and offence, / As my young miſtris dog:— [...]
    • [A]ll beaſts and birds aſſembled; and forgetting their ſeuerall appetites; ſome of pray, ſome of game, ſome of quarrell, ſtood all ſociably together liſtening vnto the ayres and accords of the Harpe; […]
  4. ›+ 9 more definitions

    1. To argue fiercely

      To argue fiercely; to contend; to squabble; to cease to be on friendly terms, to fall out.

      • I know, my dears, that when we recollect how patient and how mild he was; although he was a little, little child; we shall not quarrel easily among ourselves, and forget poor Tiny Tim in doing it.

    2. To find fault

      To find fault; to cavil.

      • to quarrel with one’s lot

    3. Followed by at

      Followed by at: to disagree with; to take offence.

    4. To argue or squabble with (someone).

      • [T]hey would ſay [...] that I had quarrell'd / My brother purpoſely, thereby to finde / An apt pretext, to baniſh them my houſe.

    5. An arrow or bolt for a crossbow or an arbalest (“a late, large type of crossbow”),…

      An arrow or bolt for a crossbow or an arbalest (“a late, large type of crossbow”), traditionally with the head square in its cross section.

      • Here be two arblasts, comrade, with windlaces and quarrells—to the barbican with you, and see you drive each bolt through a Saxon brain.

    6. A diamond- or square-shaped piece of glass forming part of a lattice window.

    7. A square tile

      A square tile; a quarry tile; (uncountable) such tiles collectively.

    8. A cutting tool or chisel with a diamond- or square-shaped end.

    9. A small square-shaped opening in window tracery.

The neighborhood

Derived

it takes two to make a quarrel, pick a quarrel, pick-quarrel, unquarrelled, unquarrelling, it takes two to quarrel, quarreler, quarreller, quarrelous, quarrel out, quarrelsome, quarrel with

Vish — recursive loop

A definitional loop anchored at quarrel. Each word in the ring is defined by the next; follow the chain far enough and it folds back on itself. Scroll to it and watch.

01quarrel02verbal03words04debate05engage06antagonistically07antagonistic08contending09contend

A definitional loop anchored at quarrel. Each word in the ring appears in the definition of the next; follow the chain far enough and it folds back on itself.

9 hops · closes at quarrel

curated · pre-corpus. live cycle detection across the full graph is the next major milestone.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA