quaint en · ADJ
Pronunciation
- kwānt
- (US) audio
- /kweɪnt/
Etymology
From Middle English queynte, quoynte, from Anglo-Norman cointe, queinte and Old French cointe (“pretty, clever, knowing”), from Latin cognitus, past participle of cognōscō (“to know”).
Meanings
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(obsolete) Of a person: cunning, crafty.
But you, my Lord, were glad to be imploy'd, / To shew how queint an Orator you are.
1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Sixt, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies. […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, (please specify the act number in uppercase Roman numerals, and the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals):
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(obsolete) Cleverly made; artfully contrived.
describe races and games, / Or tilting furniture, imblazon'd shields, / Impresses quaint, caparisons and steeds, / Bases and tinsel trappings […].
1667, John Milton, “Book IX”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:
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(dialectal) Strange or odd; unusual.
Lord Gifford, deep beneath the ground, / Heard Alexander's bugle sound, / And tarried not his garb to change, / But, in his wizard habit strange, / Came forth, a quaint and fearful sight; [...]
1808 February 22, Walter Scott, “Canto Third. The Hostel, or Inn.”, in Marmion; a Tale of Flodden Field, Edinburgh: […] J[ames] Ballantyne and Co. for Archibald Constable and Company, […]; London: William Miller, and John Murray, →OCLC, stanza XX, page 153:Till that there entered on the other side / A straunger knight, from whence no man could reed, / In quyent disguise, full hard to be descride […].
1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book IV, Canto IV”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:What none would dispute though many smiled over was the good-humored, necessary, yet quaint omission of the writer's name from the whole consideration.
1924 November 17, Time:
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(obsolete) Overly discriminating or needlessly meticulous; fastidious; prim.
She, nothing quaint / Nor 'sdeignfull of so homely fashion, / Sith brought she was now to so hard constraint, / Sate downe upon the dusty ground anon […].
1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book III, Canto VII”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:
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Pleasingly unusual; especially, having old-fashioned charm.
If you're fond of sand dunes and salty air, / Quaint little villages here and there, / You're sure to fall in love with old Cape Cod.
1957, Claire Rothrock, Milton Yakus, Allan Jeffrey, “Old Cape Cod”, performed by Patti Page:I admire all that quaint, old-fashioned politeness; it is much more to my taste than modern ease; modern ease often disgusts me.
1815 December (indicated as 1816), [Jane Austen], Emma: […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), London: […] [Charles Roworth and James Moyes] for John Murray, →OCLC:The rock is a haven for rare wildlife, a landscape where pretty hedgerows and quaint villages are bordered by a breathtaking, craggy coastline.
2011 January 31, Ian Sample, The Guardian:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| quaintest | Degree=Sup | lexicographic | |
| quainter | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic |
Deriveds
quaintish · quaintly · unquaint · quaintness · quaintlike · quaintsome
Translations (80)
cs nepříhodný (incongruous, inappropriate or illogical) · sv egendomlig (interestingly strange) · ru причудливый (interestingly strange) · ka საკვირველი (interestingly strange) · it caratteristico (having old-fashioned charm) · cs kouzelný (interestingly strange) · cs pitoreskní (interestingly strange) · nl onsamenhangend (incongruous, inappropriate or illogical) · fr remarquable (interestingly strange) · sv pittoresk (having old-fashioned charm) · cs nevhodný (incongruous, inappropriate or illogical) · cs pitoreskní (having old-fashioned charm) · sv gammaldags (having old-fashioned charm) · nl pittoresk (having old-fashioned charm) · cs prapodivný (incongruous, inappropriate or illogical) · da ejendommelig (interestingly strange) · de komisch (interestingly strange) · sv sällsam (having old-fashioned charm) · cs prazvláštní (incongruous, inappropriate or illogical) · sv sirlig (having old-fashioned charm) · sv ovanlig (having old-fashioned charm) · sh čudan (interestingly strange) · fr exigeant (fastidious) · bg причудлив (interestingly strange) · sv gammalmodig (having old-fashioned charm) · bg ексцентричен (incongruous, inappropriate or illogical) · ka უცნაური (interestingly strange) · nl ongepast (incongruous, inappropriate or illogical) · fr incongru (incongruous, inappropriate or illogical) · nl merkwaardig (interestingly strange) · it bizzarro (interestingly strange) · sv sällsam (interestingly strange) · fr pittoresque (having old-fashioned charm) · cs nesourodý (incongruous, inappropriate or illogical) · nl veeleisend (fastidious) · de malerisch (having old-fashioned charm) · cs bizarní (interestingly strange) · it vano (incongruous, inappropriate or illogical) · cs divný (incongruous, inappropriate or illogical) · cs starobylý (having old-fashioned charm) · cs kuriózní (interestingly strange) · de wunderlich (interestingly strange) · sv kuriös (interestingly strange) · cs starodávný (having old-fashioned charm) · it pittoresco (having old-fashioned charm) · cs háklivý (fastidious) · sh neprikladan (incongruous, inappropriate or illogical) · it curioso (interestingly strange) · nl onlogisch (incongruous, inappropriate or illogical) · sh starinski (having old-fashioned charm) · sv sirlig (incongruous, inappropriate or illogical) · nl kieskeurig (fastidious) · da kuriøs (interestingly strange) · sv sällsam (incongruous, inappropriate or illogical) · eo pitoreska (having old-fashioned charm) · fi erikoinen (interestingly strange) · pt curioso (interestingly strange) · es pintoresco (having old-fashioned charm) · fr délicat (fastidious) · ru старомо́дный (having old-fashioned charm) · de kurios (interestingly strange) · kw koynt (interestingly strange) · nl typisch (interestingly strange) · pt encanto (having old-fashioned charm) · eo kurioza (interestingly strange) · fr dissonant (incongruous, inappropriate or illogical) · fr vieillot (having old-fashioned charm) · fr malséant (incongruous, inappropriate or illogical) · it inappropriato (incongruous, inappropriate or illogical) · es fastidioso (fastidious) · sv märkvärdig (interestingly strange) · fi outo (interestingly strange) · de pittoresk (having old-fashioned charm) · es curioso (interestingly strange) · ka მიმზიდველი (having old-fashioned charm) · cs úzkostlivý (fastidious) · fr inconvenant (incongruous, inappropriate or illogical) · da løjerlig (incongruous, inappropriate or illogical) · sh staromodan (having old-fashioned charm) · cmn 古色古香的 (having old-fashioned charm)