Meanings
quaker1
plural quakers
- Alternative letter-case form of Quaker.
The demon of fanaticism was the shape which it took with us; and verily, what with religious republicans, harmonists, quakers, fifth-monarchy men, Presbyterians, and the reign of the saints upon earth, it needs the strong hand of a Cromwell to reduce the spiritual chaos to any sort of order.
1834, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter III, in Francesca Carrara. […], volume I, London: Richard Bentley, […], (successor to Henry Colburn), →OCLC, page 352 more examples
The timid and trimming politics of some men of large property here have almost done their business for them. They have lost their influence, and grown obnoxious. The quakers and proprietarians together have little weight. New Jersey shows a noble ardor. Is there any thing in the air or soil of New York unfriendly to the spirit of liberty?
1776 June 24, John Adams, “[General Correspondence.] To William Tudor.”, in Charles Francis Adams [Sr.], editor, The Works of John Adams, Second President of the United States: With a Life of the Author, Notes and Illustrations, […], volume IX, Boston, Mass.: Little, Brown and Company, published 1854, page 411There is also a chancellor, — no, I mistake, — a chandler and green-grocer, with his hands full of warts; a hunch-backed cadger; a one-eyed cutler; a pudgy exciseman, who is often the worse for liquor, being fond of tippling and sotting in taps; a lubberly fuller; a limping, spoffish limner; a tawer, with a wen or a whelk on the tip of his nose; a stuttering plumber; a splenish quaker; a sexton, with teeth like the times of a harrow; a weazen-faced vintner; a snuffling undertaker’s mute, clothed in deep mourning, and talking of nothing but hearses and palls, dirges and passing-bells.
Synthesis of the English Language (Charles Saville): English Text with Opposite French Translation
1857, T[héodore] Robertson, “[Charles Saville: […]] Chapter XXV”, in Synthèse de la langue anglaise (Charles Saville) : Texte anglais avec la traduction française en regard [Synthesis of the English Language (Charles Saville): English Text with Opposite French Translation], 2nd edition, Paris: Librairie française et anglaise de [French and English bookshop of] J.-H. Truchy; Ch. Leroy, successeur [successor]; […], page 240 - biologyAny of various lycaenid butterflies of the genus Pithecops.
Quaker2
plural Quakers · alternative Quacker · alternative quaker · alternative Whaker
- A believer of the Quaker faith and a member of the Society of Friends, known for their pacifist views.
The demon of fanaticism was the shape which it took with us; and verily, what with religious republicans, harmonists, quakers, fifth-monarchy men, Presbyterians, and the reign of the saints upon earth, it needs the strong hand of a Cromwell to reduce the spiritual chaos to any sort of order.
1834, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter III, in Francesca Carrara. […], volume I, London: Richard Bentley, […], (successor to Henry Colburn), →OCLC, page 35
Quaker3
plural Quakers
- video gamesA player of any game in the Quake series of first-person shooters.
Who the hell made you the newsgroup police? People are always posting I76 stuff here. It -IS- an action game, is it not? Why don't you tell all the Quakers here to go to alt.quake newsgroup? Or the Diabloers....etc. Or better yet, find something better to do than play net cop.
1997 July 29, Mr. X, “Interstate 76 video lockup help!”, in alt.games.mechwarrior2 (Usenet), archived from the original on 18 Aug 2026
Synonyms & antonyms
nouna member of the Religious Society of Friends founded by George Fox (the Friends have never called themselves Quakers)
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Quaker · noun
From quake + -er; a name given to members of the Religious Society of Friends, supposedly by the magistrates Gervase Bennet and Nathaniel Barton, when George Fox "bade them tremble at the word of the Lord"; the term was previously applied to certain people who trembled or quaked during religious devotions.
Full word history & related roots →Quaker · noun
From Quake + -er, but likely inspired by the original noun.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic كويكر
- كويكرbeliever of the Quaker faith
Bulgarian квакер
- квакер (kvaker)believer of the Quaker faith
Catalan quàquer
- quàquerbeliever of the Quaker faith
Czech kvaker
- kvakerbeliever of the Quaker faith
Danish kvæker
- kvækerbeliever of the Quaker faith
Dutch quaker
- quakerbeliever of the Quaker faith
Esperanto kvakero
- kvakerobeliever of the Quaker faith
Finnish kveekari
- kveekaribeliever of the Quaker faith
French quaker
- quakerbeliever of the Quaker faith
German Quäker
- Quäkerbeliever of the Quaker faith
Greek Κουάκερος
- Κουάκερος (Kouákeros)believer of the Quaker faith
Hungarian kvéker
- kvékerbeliever of the Quaker faith
Icelandic kvekari
- kvekaribeliever of the Quaker faith
Irish Caecar
- Caecarbeliever of the Quaker faith
Italian quacchero
- quaccherobeliever of the Quaker faith
Japanese クエーカー教徒
- クエーカー教徒 (Kuēkā kyōto)believer of the Quaker faith
Norwegian Bokmål kveker
- kvekerbeliever of the Quaker faith
Polish kwakier
- kwakierbeliever of the Quaker faith
Portuguese quacre, quáquer
- quacrebeliever of the Quaker faith
- quáquerbeliever of the Quaker faith
Romanian quaker, quakeră
- quakerbeliever of the Quaker faith
- quakerăbeliever of the Quaker faith
Russian ква́кер
- ква́кер (kváker)believer of the Quaker faith
Scottish Gaelic Cuaigear
- Cuaigearbeliever of the Quaker faith
Slovak kvaker
- kvakerbeliever of the Quaker faith
Spanish cuáquero
- cuáquerobeliever of the Quaker faith
Swedish kväkare
- kväkarebeliever of the Quaker faith
Tagalog kuwakero
- kuwakerobeliever of the Quaker faith
Yiddish קוואַקער
- קוואַקער (kvaker)believer of the Quaker faith
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with quaker
Cite this entry
quaker. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/quaker
“quaker.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/quaker. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “quaker,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/quaker.
Source: quaker on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.