Quail Is Both a Small Bird and a Flinch
A quail is a small ground-dwelling game bird. The verb quail means to lose courage, and the two are separate words.
A quail is a small plump ground bird of the pheasant family. The verb *quail*, meaning to lose heart or flinch, is a different word — probably from Middle Dutch *quelen*, to suffer, not from the timid bird as people often assume. The coincidence is convenient enough that the false connection has become folklore. A group of quail is a *covey* or a *bevy*, and the bird's name is imitative of its call.
- A small game bird. *A covey of quail.*
- To lose courage. *He quailed at the sight.*
- Covey — a group. *A covey.*
- Quail eggs — a delicacy. *Quail eggs.*
- Old French — *quaille*. *The bird's source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | quail | A quail. |
| Plural | quail / quails | Quail. |
| Verb | quail | Quail before it. |
| Past | quailed | Quailed. |
| Group | covey | A covey. |
- A covey of quail broke from the grass.Bird.
- He quailed before the crowd.Verb.
- The two words are unrelated.Etymology.
Collective nouns for birds
- A covey of quail or partridge
- A bevy of quail or larks
- A murder of crows
- An exaltation of larks
- A parliament of owls
Old French *quaille*, from Medieval Latin *quaccula*, imitative of the bird's call. The verb is probably from Middle Dutch *quelen*, to suffer.
Does quailing come from the bird?
Probably not. The verb likely comes from a Dutch word meaning to suffer, though the coincidence has produced a popular folk explanation.
What is a group of quail called?
A covey, or sometimes a bevy.