quill

American  

[kwil] / kwɪl /

noun

1. one of the large feathers of the wing or tail of a bird.

2. the hard, hollow, basal part of a feather.

3. a feather, as of a goose, formed into a pen for writing.

4. one of the hollow spines on a porcupine or hedgehog.

5. a plectrum of a harpsichord.

6. a roll of bark, as of cinnamon, formed in drying.

7. a reed or other hollow stem on which yarn is wound.

8. a bobbin or spool.

9. a toothpick.

10. Machinery.

    1. a hollow shaft or sleeve through which another independently rotating shaft may pass.

    2. a shaft, joined to and supported by two other shafts or machines, for transmitting motion from one to the other.

    3. a rotating toolholder used in boring or facing internal angles.

11. a musical pipe, especially one made from a hollow reed.

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verb (used with object)

1. Textiles.

   1. to arrange (fabric) in flutes or cylindrical ridges, as along the edge of a garment, hem, etc.

   2. to wind on a quill, as yarn.

2. to penetrate with, or as if with, a quill or quills.

3. to extract a quill or quills from.

   to quill a duck before cooking it.

quill British  

/ kwɪl /

noun

1. 1. any of the large stiff feathers of the wing or tail of a bird

   2. the long hollow central part of a bird's feather; calamus

2. a bird's feather made into a pen for writing

3. any of the stiff hollow spines of a porcupine or hedgehog

4. a device, formerly usually made from a crow quill, for plucking a harpsichord string

5. angling a length of feather barb stripped of barbules and used for the body of some artificial flies

6. a small roll of bark, esp one of dried cinnamon

7. (in weaving) a bobbin or spindle

8. a fluted fold, as in a ruff

9. a hollow shaft that rotates upon an inner spindle or concentrically about an internal shaft

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verb

1. to wind (thread, yarn, etc) onto a spool or bobbin

2. to make or press fluted folds in (a ruff)

quill Scientific  

/ kwĭl /

1. The hollow shaft of a feather, the bottom of which attaches to the bird's skin.

2. One of the sharp hollow spines of a porcupine or hedgehog.

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Other Word Forms

• quill-like
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of quill

1375–1425; late Middle English quil; compare Low German quiele, German Kiel

Explanation

A quill is a feather, or the narrow tube of a feather's shaft — long ago used as a writing instrument. John Hancock didn't use a ballpoint to sign the Declaration of Independence, silly. He used a quill! The quills of a bird's feathers seem ideally designed for dipping in ink and writing on paper — they're so perfect that this type of old-fashioned pen is also called a quill. In addition to birds, there are some mammals with quills, including porcupines and hedgehogs. We know that quill comes from the Low German quiele , but beyond that its origin is a mystery.

Example Sentences

He holds a piece of paper in one hand and a quill in the other.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 21, 2025

The set list mixed new songs with old favorites: “Bloody Mary” into “Abracadabra” into “Judas” into the German-language “Sheiße,” which involved a bunch of oversize quill pens and a Last Supper-style tableau.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 12, 2025

Written using quill and ink, the letter dated 4 September 1892 reveals the names of three engineers who installed a new type of light in the 30ft tower.

From BBC • Nov. 8, 2024

When I told Julie that I planned to live for a year constitutionally—muskets, quill pens, and all—her reaction was not “Huzzah!”

From Slate • May 8, 2024

There he poked the quill into the soft, rotting wood of his floor, where it stood erect, a sort of talisman.

From "Abel's Island" by William Steig