Vocabulary Quiz #7 (Ten words beginning with the letter "Q")

Number 16 Vocabulary Quiz #7
Ten words beginning with the letter "Q"

Number 16 presents a multiple choice vocabulary quiz.  Choose the correct definition of each word listed.  There are ten words for you to define and they all begin with the letter "Q."  Ready, set, go!


1.  quixotic (adjective)
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A.  Silly and immature

B.  Lacking in intelligence

C.  Foolishly impractical especially in pursuit of ideals.

D. Having a pleasant and personable manner

E.  Stubborn and uncompromising



2.  quell (verb)
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A.   To thoroughly overwhelm and reduce to submission or passivity; to quiet or pacify

B.  To shake with terror; to be extremely fearful

C.  To ask someone many questions

D.  To hibernate or hide for a long time, to isolate oneself

E.  To warm up after feeling chilled




3.  quotidian (adjective)
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A.   More than necessary, surplus

B.  Everyday, ordinary, commonplace

C.  Relating to the middle ages, medieval.

D.  Wordy, verbose, talkative

E.  Careful and cautious



4.  quota (noun)
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A.  An overdrawn bank account

B.  The amount necessary to break even financially

C.  A proportional part or share; the number or amount constituting a proportional share

D.  A retirement savings fund, especially for small business owners

E.  The number of soldiers in an army battalion



5.  quorum (noun)
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A.  In real estate, the difference in price between two homes of the same size but in different locations.

B.  The name for a group of Muslims on a religious pilgrimage to Mecca.

C.  The number of votes necessary to pass legislation in the British House of Commons.

D.  A certain kind of Egyptian pyramid

E.  A select group.  The number of (such as a majority) of officers of a body that when duly assembled is legally competent to conduct business,



6.  quisling (noun)
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A.  A baby goose

B.  A mysterious stranger

C.  A beginner or novice tennis player

D.  A traitor, a collaborator

E.   A miniature puppet



7.  quintessential (adjective)
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A.  Very necessary

B.  Perfectly typical or representative of a particular kind of person or thing

C.  Unrecognized and unappreciated

D.  Ancient

E.  Noticeable in an unwelcome way, obtrusive in manner



8.  quinoa (noun)
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A.  A 16th fortress used to protect Spanish cities from attack

B.   A type of dog breed originating in South America

C.  An annual herb of the goosefoot family

D.  A type of Spanish ship

E.  A kind of Mexican bread eaten on special occasions



9.  quiescent (adjective)
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A.  A description for one who doesn't speak much

B.  Having very little light

C.  Marked by extreme weariness

D.  Marked by inactivity or repose

E.  One who chooses words very carefully as  not to offend



10.  quagmire (noun)
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A.  Quicksand or unsteady ground

B.  A very difficult crossword puzzle

C.  A riddle that is very difficult to solve

D.  A mysterious dream

E.  A difficult, puzzling, or embarrassing situation

ANSWERS 
(Note:  The definitions for the correct answers have been taken from the Merriam-Webster dictionary or thesaurus)

1.  C
quixotic (adjective):  Foolishly impractical in pursuit of ideals especially: marked by rash lofty romantic ideals or extravagantly chivalrous action

The word "quixotic" is derived from the name "Don Quixote," the idealistic hero of the 17th century Spanish novel El Ingenioso Don Quijote de la Mancha by Miguel de Cervantes.  Quixote tilted at windmills, imagining himself to be a shining knight on a gallant steed.


2.  A
quell (verb): To thoroughly overwhelm and reduce to submission or passivity as in quell a riot; to quiet or pacify as in quell fears


3.  B
quotidian (adjective):  Everyday, ordinary, commonplace; examples - Not content with the quotidian quarrels that other couples had, they had arguments that shook the entire neighbourhood.  He was plagued by a quotidian coughing fit, the result of years of smoking.



4.  C
quota (noun):  A proportional part or share; the number or amount constituting a proportional share, especially the share of proportion assigned to each in a division or to each member of a body
Examples: The agency imposes strict fishing quotas.
                  The company has imposed quotas as on hiring.


5.  E.
quorum (noun):  A select group; the number of (such as a majority) of officers of a body that when duly assembled is legally competent to conduct business.
Example: We need five people to make a quorum.


6.  D
quisling (noun): A traitor, a collaborator
Vidkun Quisling was a Norwegian army officer and founder of Norway's fascist party.  In 1933, he met with Adolf Hitler and encouraged him to occupy Norway.  His name became used in English to refer to any traitor.


7.  B
quintessential (adjective): Perfectly typical or representative of a particular kind of person or thing
Example: He's your quintessential streetwise New Yorker.


8.  C
quinoa (noun): An annual herb of the goosefoot family that is native to the South American Andean highlands and is cultivated for its starchy seeds which are used as food and ground into flour.


9.  D
quiescent (adjective): Marked by inactivity or repose; tranquility at rest (as in a group of quiescent loungers recovering from the Thanksgiving feast); causing no trouble or symptoms (as in quiescent gallstones)


10.  E
quagmire (noun): A difficult, puzzling, or embarrassing situation from which there is no easy escape; a dilemma, a Catch-22, a predicament
Example: The job seeker was facing the usual quagmire of not having full time experience and the inability to gain full time experience without being hired.


- Joanne