quid

plural quids

1. The inherent nature of something.
2. UShistoricalA member of a section of the Democratic-Republican Party between 1805 and 1811, following John Randolph of Roanoke. (From tertium quid.)

   Synonyms: Quiddist

3. Paired with quo, in reference to the phrase quid pro quo (“this for that”): something offered in exchange for something else.

   It is hard to pull off a quid pro quo if the holder of the quo doesn’t know about the quid.

   2020, John Yoo, Defender in Chief: Donald Trump’s Fight for Presidential Power, New York, N.Y.: All Points Books, St. Martin’s Publishing Group, →ISBN

   3 more examples

   […]; but what is the quo for which they ought to give the quid? you say they ought to give a quid pro quo; what is the quo? […]; did not they give you a pretty handsome quid for the quo there?

   1886 May 19, Report from the Select Committee of the House of Lords on the Electric Lighting Act (1882) Amendment (No. 1) Bill [H.L.]; the Electric Lighting Act (1882) Amendment (No. 2) Bill [H.L.]; Together with the Proceedings of the Committee, Minutes of Evidence, and Appendix, London: […] Henry Hansard and Son, page 208

   Indeed, asymmetry precludes the possibility of pointing to any particular quo that is meant to recompense the quid. […]If there exists any kind of inequity between quid and quo, then—on this line of argument—the expansive category of “friendship” emerges to account for it, siphoning the situation away from the class of objectionable quid pro quo. The claim officials here make—that for a quid to have a quo there must be some equivalency between the two—draws theoretical sustenance from the objective, exclusionary approach that critics of classical contract law apply to disproportionate exchanges.

   2000, Andrew Stark, Conflict of Interest in American Public Life, →ISBN, pages 163–164

   Corruption, the Court declared in Buckley v. Valeo, involves a quid pro quo: an officeholder doing something in office in return for money or some other favor provided by another individual or entity (for our purposes, a corporation). The problem, however, is that in principle there can be a quid—the money or favor offered by the business to the official—and a quo—the action taken by the official that benefits the business—without any clear evidence of a pro, that is, that the two are connected.[…]The “pro,” the connection between quid and quo, might take place only inside the minds of the official and businessperson concerned.

   2009, George G. Brenkert, Tom L. Beaucham, editors, The Oxford Handbook of Business Ethics, Oxford University Press, page 504

plural rare quids

1. UKcolloquialPound (currency). (usually used with a whole number of pounds)

   Seven quid for a toastie? Are you taking the mick?!

2. historicalA sovereign or guinea, that is, a certain coin or amount of money.

   They invited him to come to-morrow, […] and bring half a quid with him.

   1870, Charles Reade, Put Yourself in His Place

   5 more examples

   Isn't this the chance of a lifetime? Have either of you ever made a couple of quids at once in your puff before—pinching goods from the back of delivery vans and smooching lead off empty houses?

   1934, Ernest Bramah [pseudonym; Ernest Brammah Smith], The Bravo of London

   Forty quid a fuckin ticket. No shy they British Rail cunts, ah kin fuckin tell ye.

   1994 [1993], Irvine Welsh, Trainspotting, London: Minerva, →ISBN, page 114

   The ride costs exactly fifteen quid, but that doesn't include the tip, and bitter is two pounds a pint.

   1995, Nick Hornby, High Fidelity, London: Victor Gollancz, →ISBN, pages 71–72

   When I worked in a toyshop, I once bought the manageress a sandwich. Do I still work there? No. Our relationship is, therefore, over. Has she given me the quid back? No.

   1999 April 19, Victoria Coren, “I don't love you. PS: you owe me £2.50”, in The Guardian, →ISSN, archived from the original on 08 May 2014

   I have mentioned before how impressed I was when I used a Glasgow suburban train late one Saturday night, when I reached Queen Street the barriers were closed and I had to cough up a princely couple of quid before being allowed through.

   2025 November 12, Christian Wolmar, “A proper BTP presence is worth every penny”, in RAIL, number 1048, page 41

   Synonyms: pound, nicker, sov

3. CommonwealthIrelandcolloquialhistoricalVarious national currencies typically known by the name "pound".
4. IrelandbroadlycolloquialEuro.
5. CommonwealthbroadlycolloquialrareDollar, dollars.

plural quids

1. A piece of material for chewing, especially chewing tobacco.

   Then he lay quiet for a little, and then, pulling out a stick of tobacco, begged me to cut him a quid.

   1881–1882, Robert Louis Stevenson, “Israel Hands”, in Treasure Island, London; Paris: Cassell & Company, published 14 November 1883, →OCLC, part V (My Sea Adventure), page 210

   1 more example

   He broke off to open a small brass tobacco-box and place a little quid of tobacco tenderly into a pouch in his left cheek, […]

   1901, W. W. Jacobs, chapter 1, in Light Freights, page 1

2. UScolloquialThe act of chewing such tobacco.

present singular third person quids · participle present quidding · participle past quidded · past quidded

1. To chew tobacco.

   Ah! the pig-tailed, quidding pirates and the pretty pranks we played

   1902, John Masefield, A Ballad of John Silver

2. To let food drop from the mouth whilst chewing.

plural QUIDs

1. abbreviationacronymAcronym of quantitative ingredients declaration.

   The QUID tells a customer the percentage of particular ingredients contained in a food product.