quest en · NOUN · etymology 1
Pronunciation
- (US) audio
- kwĕst
- /kwɛst/
Etymology
From Middle English quest, queste; partly from Anglo-Norman queste, Old French queste (“acquisition, search, hunt”), and partly from their source, Latin quaesta (“tribute, tax, inquiry, search”), noun use of quaesita, the feminine past participle of quaerō (“to ask, seek”). Doublet of question.
Meanings
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A journey or effort in pursuit of a goal (often lengthy, ambitious, or fervent); a mission.
the hero's quest
In his first book since the 2008 essay collection Natural Acts: A Sidelong View of Science and Nature, David Quammen looks at the natural world from yet another angle: the search for the next human pandemic, what epidemiologists call “the next big one.” His quest leads him around the world to study a variety of suspect zoonoses—animal-hosted pathogens that infect humans.
2013 January 14, Katie L. Burke, “Ecological Dependency”, in American Scientist, volume 101, number 1, archived from the original on 09 Feb 2017, page 64:Cease your quest of love.
c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i]:Everything I have done pales in comparison to what I am about to achieve. I am on a quest... a quest for the most revered icon in Klingon history. An icon that predates the Klingon Empire, an icon more sacred than the Torch of G'boj — More revered than Sabak's armor, and more coveted than the Emperor's crown!
1995, “The Sword of Kahless”, in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, season 4, episode 8, spoken by Kor, →OCLC:
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(qualifier:roleplaying games) A journey or effort in pursuit of a goal (often lengthy, ambitious, or fervent); a mission. ▸ A task that a player may complete in order to gain a reward or advance the story.
At the same time, players are not forced to complete quests in a certain order; they're allowed enough free will within the game to determine their goals and needs.
2012, Nick Iuppa, Terry Borst, Story and Simulations for Serious Games: Tales from the Trenches, New York and London: Focal Press, →ISBN, page 214:
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The act of seeking, or looking after anything; attempt to find or obtain; search; pursuit.
to rove in quest of game, of a lost child, of property, etc.
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(obsolete) A request; a desire; a solicitation.
Gad not abroad at every quest and call Of an untrained hope or passion.
[1633], George Herbert, edited by [Nicholas Ferrar], The Temple. Sacred Poems, and Private Ejaculations, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: […] Thomas Buck and Roger Daniel; and are to be sold by Francis Green, […], →OCLC:
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(obsolete) A group of people conducting a search or inquiry.
The senate hath sent about three several quests to search you out.
c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Othello, the Moore of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii]:
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(obsolete) An inquest; a jury of inquest.
To 'cide this title is impanneled A quest of thoughts, all tenants to the heart, And by their verdict is determined The clear eye's moiety and the dear heart's part […]
1609, William Shakespeare, “Sonnet 46”, in Shake-speares Sonnets. […], London: By G[eorge] Eld for T[homas] T[horpe] and are to be sold by William Aspley, →OCLC:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| quests | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
questman · FedEx quest · quester · questline · questward · fetch quest · subquest · sidequest · questless · second quest · questlike · questmonger · vision quest · question · questful
Descendants
quest · квест · 퀘스트 · квест · квест · Quest · クエスト
Synonyms
Translations (91)
hi खोज (journey or effort in pursuit of a goal) · pdt Jeforsch (journey or effort in pursuit of a goal) · ru квест (journey or effort in pursuit of a goal) · ja クエスト (journey or effort in pursuit of a goal) · pl poszukiwanie (journey or effort in pursuit of a goal) · gl procura (journey or effort in pursuit of a goal) · ota كشف (search) · bn তলাশ (journey or effort in pursuit of a goal) · gl busca (journey or effort in pursuit of a goal) · pt busca (journey or effort in pursuit of a goal) · ru по́иски (journey or effort in pursuit of a goal) · nl queeste (journey or effort in pursuit of a goal) · sv strävan (journey or effort in pursuit of a goal) · cs výprava (journey or effort in pursuit of a goal) · ja 検索 (search) · ja 探索 (journey or effort in pursuit of a goal) · fr quête (journey or effort in pursuit of a goal) · ka ძებნა (journey or effort in pursuit of a goal) · be мі́сія (journey or effort in pursuit of a goal) · mk за́дача (journey or effort in pursuit of a goal) · ru ми́ссия (journey or effort in pursuit of a goal) · de Suche (journey or effort in pursuit of a goal) · uk шука́ння (search) · la investīgātiō (journey or effort in pursuit of a goal) · bg ди́рене (journey or effort in pursuit of a goal) · la indāgātiō (journey or effort in pursuit of a goal) · cy cwest (journey or effort in pursuit of a goal) · mk ми́сија (journey or effort in pursuit of a goal) · es misión (journey or effort in pursuit of a goal) · fr recherche (search) · ru по́иск (journey or effort in pursuit of a goal) · ja 捜索 (search) · es esfuerzo (journey or effort in pursuit of a goal) · mk приклуче́ние (journey or effort in pursuit of a goal) · ko 검색 (search) · fa پویش (journey or effort in pursuit of a goal) · el αναζήτηση (journey or effort in pursuit of a goal) · it ricerca (search) · cmn 尋求 /寻求 (journey or effort in pursuit of a goal) · ko 탐구 (journey or effort in pursuit of a goal) · ka კვესტი (journey or effort in pursuit of a goal) · pl poszukiwania (journey or effort in pursuit of a goal) · es búsqueda (search) · sv uppdrag (journey or effort in pursuit of a goal) · ko 탐색 (journey or effort in pursuit of a goal) · sq kërkim (journey or effort in pursuit of a goal) · be по́шук (search) · be по́шук (journey or effort in pursuit of a goal) · mk квест (journey or effort in pursuit of a goal) · uk по́шук (journey or effort in pursuit of a goal) · cy cwestau (journey or effort in pursuit of a goal) · la scrūtātiō (journey or effort in pursuit of a goal) · mi kimihanga (search) · gd sireadh (journey or effort in pursuit of a goal) · ota بحث (search) · de Quest (task in a game) · uk квест (journey or effort in pursuit of a goal) · uk мі́сія (journey or effort in pursuit of a goal) · de Queste (journey or effort in pursuit of a goal) · ja 探求 (journey or effort in pursuit of a goal) · sv mål (journey or effort in pursuit of a goal) · mk ба́рање (search) · it impresa (journey or effort in pursuit of a goal) · la inquīsītiō (journey or effort in pursuit of a goal) · id pencarian (journey or effort in pursuit of a goal) · de Suche (search) · hu kutatás (search) · fi etsintä (journey or effort in pursuit of a goal) · grc ἀναζήτησις (journey or effort in pursuit of a goal) · eo misio (journey or effort in pursuit of a goal) · ar بَحْث (search) · uk по́шук (search) · nb søken (journey or effort in pursuit of a goal) · cmn 搜索 (search) · nl streeftocht (journey or effort in pursuit of a goal) · it missione (journey or effort in pursuit of a goal) · es búsqueda (journey or effort in pursuit of a goal) · mk по́трага (journey or effort in pursuit of a goal) · grc ἔρανος (journey or effort in pursuit of a goal) · tr arama (journey or effort in pursuit of a goal) · ko 수색 (search) · bg тъ́рсене (search) · ar طَلَب (search) · hu küldetés (journey or effort in pursuit of a goal) · ru по́иск (search) · bg ми́сия (journey or effort in pursuit of a goal) · el έρανος (journey or effort in pursuit of a goal) · sv resa (journey or effort in pursuit of a goal) · hu keresés (search) · nl zoektocht (journey or effort in pursuit of a goal) · cmn 探索 (journey or effort in pursuit of a goal)