quarrel

plural quarrels · alternative obsolete quarrell

1. countableA dispute or heated argument (especially one that is verbal).

   We got into a silly quarrel about what food to order.

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   And let a Man bevvare, hovv he keepeth Company, vvith Cholerick and Quarelſome Perſons; for they vvill engage him into their ovvne Quarels.

   1625, Francis [Bacon], “Of Trauaile”, in The Essayes […], 3rd edition, London: […] Iohn Haviland for Hanna Barret, →OCLC, page 104

   Quarrels would not last long, if the fault was only on one side.

   1851, Francis, Duc de la Rochefoucauld [i.e., François de La Rochefoucauld], translated by [anonymous], Moral Reflections, Sentences and Maxims of Francis, Duc de la Rochefoucauld. […], New York, N.Y.: William Gowans, →OCLC, number 523, page 140

   I would have written of me on my stone: / I had a lover's quarrel with the world.

   1942, Robert Frost, “The Lesson for Today”, in The Poems of Robert Frost: […], New York, N.Y.: The Modern Library, published 1946, →OCLC, page 408

   But capital was proving difficult to raise; rumours were in the air that the G.W.R. and L.S.W.R. were about to patch up their quarrel, and the people of Southampton, who twelve months earlier had staged a torch-light procession to celebrate the passing of the D.N.S.R. Act, were increasingly loath to part with their cash.

   1955 February, T. B. Sands, “The Didcot, Newbury & Southampton Railway—1”, in Railway Magazine, page 79

   All quarrels halt at the grave.

   2016 June 17, John O’Sullivan, “U.K. Membership in the European Union”, in C-SPAN, 4:34 from the start, archived from the original on 23 Dec 2020

   Synonyms: argument, argy-bargy, altercation, contention, barney, bawl out, blue, bobbery

2. countableOften preceded by a form of to have: a basis or ground of dispute or objection; a complaint; also, a feeling or situation of ill will and unhappiness caused by this.

   I have no quarrel with her; it’s her partner whom I dislike.

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   A few customers in the shop had some quarrels with us, so we called for the manager.

   I maruaile much my Lords what rage it is, That moues my people whom I loue ſo deare, Vnder a ſhow of quarrell good and iust, To riſe againſt vs thus in mutinies, […]

   1593, anonymous author, The Life and Death of Iacke Straw […], →OCLC, Act I

   You miſtake ſir I am ſure, no man hath any quarrell to me: my remembrance is very free and cleere from any image of offence done to any man.

   c. 1601–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Twelfe Night, or What You Will”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene iv], page 269, column 1

   Therefore Herodias had a quarrel against him [John the Baptist], and would haue killed him, but ſhe could not.

   1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Mark 6:19, column 1

   I am sorry, with all my heart, to find you so resolute. We have never had any quarrel, to which I have been a party. But I have made the trial in homage to Christmas, and I'll keep my Christmas humour to the last. So A Merry Christmas, uncle!

   1843 December 19, Charles Dickens, “Stave I. Marley’s Ghost.”, in A Christmas Carol. […], London: Chapman & Hall, […], →OCLC, pages 10–11

3. rareuncountableA propensity to quarrel; quarrelsomeness.

   If I can faſten but one cup vpon him, / With that which he hath drunke to night already, / Hee'll be as full of quarrell and offence, / As my young miſtris dog:— [...]

   c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, The Tragœdy of Othello, the Moore of Venice. […] (First Quarto), London: […] N[icholas] O[kes] for Thomas Walkley, […], published 1622, →OCLC, [Act II, scene iii], page 30

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   [A]ll beaſts and birds aſſembled; and forgetting their ſeuerall appetites; ſome of pray, ſome of game, ſome of quarrell, ſtood all ſociably together liſtening vnto the ayres and accords of the Harpe; […]

   1605, Francis Bacon, “The First Booke”, in The Twoo Bookes of Francis Bacon. Of the Proficience and Aduancement of Learning, Diuine and Humane, London: […] [Thomas Purfoot and Thomas Creede] for Henrie Tomes, […], →OCLC, folio 32, verso

present singular third person quarrels · US participle present quarreling · UK participle present quarrelling · US participle past quarreled · US past quarreled · UK participle past quarrelled · UK past quarrelled · first person past singular quarrelled · archaic present second person singular quarrelest · archaic present second person singular quarrellest · past second person singular quarrelled · archaic past second person singular quarrelledst · present singular third person quarrels · archaic present singular third person quarreleth · archaic present singular third person quarrelleth · past singular third person quarrelled

1. alsofigurativelyintransitiveTo argue fiercely; to contend; to squabble; to cease to be on friendly terms, to fall out.

   I know, my dears, that when we recollect how patient and how mild he was; although he was a little, little child; we shall not quarrel easily among ourselves, and forget poor Tiny Tim in doing it.

   1843 December 19, Charles Dickens, “Stave Four. The Last of the Spirits.”, in A Christmas Carol. […], London: Chapman & Hall, […], →OCLC, page 147

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   [T]here is no doubt but the facture or framing of the inward parts, is as full of difference, as the outward, and in that, is the Cauſe Continent of many diſeaſes, which not be obſerued, they quarrell many times with the humors which are not in fault, the fault being in the very frame and Mechanicke of the parte, which cannot be remoued by medicine alteratiue, but muſt be accomodate and palliate by dyets and medicines familiar.

   1605, Francis Bacon, “The Second Booke”, in The Twoo Bookes of Francis Bacon. Of the Proficience and Aduancement of Learning, Diuine and Humane, London: […] [Thomas Purfoot and Thomas Creede] for Henrie Tomes, […], →OCLC, folio 41, verso

   Nay, they [animals] feed quietly together while there is enough for them all: Quarrel onely when it begins to fail; and when 'tis ended, they ſcatter to ſeek out new encounters. Besides, thoſe called ſociable, quarrel in hunger and in luſt, as well as the others; [...]

   1679, William Temple, “An Essay upon the Original and Nature of Government. […]”, in Miscellanea. […], London: […] A. M. and R. R. for Edw[ard] Gellibrand, […], →OCLC, page 61

2. intransitiveTo find fault; to cavil.

   to quarrel with one’s lot

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   Be not too rigidly Cenſorious, / A ſtring may jarr in the beſt Maſters hand, / And the moſt skilfull Archer miſs his aim; / But in a Poem elegantly writ, / I will not quarrel with a ſlight miſtake, / Such as our Natures frailty may excuſe; [...]

   1680, Horace, translated by Earl of Roscommon [i.e., Wentworth Dillon, 4th Earl of Roscommon], Horace’s Art of Poetry. […], London: […] Henry Herringman […], →OCLC, page 24

3. intransitiveobsoleteFollowed by at: to disagree with; to take offence.
4. transitiveobsolete except ScotlandTo argue or squabble with (someone).

   [T]hey would ſay [...] that I had quarrell'd / My brother purpoſely, thereby to finde / An apt pretext, to baniſh them my houſe.

   1598, Beniamin Ionson [i.e., Ben Jonson], “Euery Man in His Humour. A Comœdie. […]”, in The Workes of Beniamin Ionson (First Folio), London: […] Will[iam] Stansby, published 1616, →OCLC, Act II, scene i, page 21

plural quarrels

1. countablehistoricalarcheryAn arrow or bolt for a crossbow or an arbalest (“a late, large type of crossbow”), traditionally with the head square in its cross section.

   Here be two arblasts, comrade, with windlaces and quarrells—to the barbican with you, and see you drive each bolt through a Saxon brain.

   1819 December 20 (indicated as 1820), Walter Scott, chapter XIV, in Ivanhoe; a Romance. […], volume III, Edinburgh: […] Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Hurst, Robinson, and Co. […], →OCLC, page 281

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   Twanged the ſtring, out flew the quarell long, / And through the ſubtile aire did ſinging pas, / It hit the knight the buckles rich among, / Wherewith his pretious girdle faſt'ned was, / It bruſed them and pearſt his hawberke ſtrong, / Some little blood downe trickled on the gras; [...]

   1600, [Torquato Tasso], “The Seuenth Booke of Godfrey of Bulloigne”, in Edward Fairefax [i.e., Edward Fairfax], transl., Godfrey of Bulloigne, or The Recouerie of Ierusalem. […], London: […] Ar[nold] Hatfield, for I[saac] Iaggard and M[atthew] Lownes, →OCLC, stanza 103, page 137

   The small cross-bow, called the arbalet or arbalest, is said to have been invented by the Sicilians. It was carried by the foot-soldiers, and when used was charged with a quarrel or bar-bolt, that is, a small arrow with a flat head, one of which occasioned the death of Harold [Godwinson] at the battle of Hastings, [...]

   1829 January–July, [Edward Augustus Kendall], “Illustrations of History. Archery.”, in The Olio; or Museum of Entertainment, volume III, London: […] Shackell and Carfrae [for] Joseph Shackell, […], →OCLC, page 174, column 2

   "What was that?" he asked, as a hissing, sharp-drawn voice seemed to whisper in his ear. The steersman smiled, and pointed with his foot to where a short heavy cross-bow quarrel stuck quivering in the boards.

   1891, A[rthur] Conan Doyle, “How the Yellow Cog Fought the Two Rover Galleys”, in The White Company […], volume II, London: Smith, Elder, & Co., […], →OCLC, page 71

   Synonyms: carrel, quarry

2. countablearchitectureA diamond- or square-shaped piece of glass forming part of a lattice window.

   Synonyms: quarry

3. Northern EnglandcountablearchitectureA square tile; a quarry tile; (uncountable) such tiles collectively.

   Synonyms: quarry

4. countableobsoleterareA cutting tool or chisel with a diamond- or square-shaped end.
5. countableobsoletearchitectureA small square-shaped opening in window tracery.