A Quarrel Is Also a Crossbow Bolt
A quarrel is an angry argument. A second and unrelated quarrel is the short square-headed bolt fired from a crossbow.
A quarrel is an angry dispute between people who usually know each other. A second quarrel, unrelated, is a crossbow bolt with a four-sided head — from Latin *quadrus*, square. The two words arrived in English separately and simply collided.
- An angry argument. *A family quarrel.*
- To argue angrily. *They quarrelled over money.*
- A crossbow bolt (historical). *A quiver of quarrels.*
- No quarrel with — no objection to. *I have no quarrel with that.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | quarrel | A bitter quarrel. |
| Plural | quarrels | Old quarrels. |
| Verb | quarrel | They quarrel constantly. |
| Past (UK) | quarrelled | They quarrelled. |
| Adjective | quarrelsome | A quarrelsome neighbour. |
How it is used in a sentence
- The quarrel lasted for years.Between people.
- I have no quarrel with the conclusion.Meaning I do not dispute it.
- A crossbow fires a quarrel, not an arrow.The historical sense.
Argument words
- Quarrel — an angry personal dispute
- Argument — a disagreement, or a case made
- Row — British informal for a noisy quarrel
- Feud — a long hostility, often between families
- Spat — a brief and minor quarrel
The argument comes from Latin *querela*, a complaint, from *queri*, to complain. The crossbow bolt comes from Latin *quadrus*, square, describing its head.
Quarrelled or quarreled?
Two l's in British English, one in American, following the usual pattern for words ending in a single vowel plus l.
Are the two quarrels related?
No. One comes from a Latin word for complaining, the other from a word for square. They are separate borrowings.