Dictionary

quitter en · NOUN · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• /ˈkwɪ.tə/ (UK)
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

From Middle English quitter, from Anglo-Norman quiture, quyture et al., specialised use of quiture (“burn mark, burning”), from the participle stem of cuire (“to cook”), or from Latin coctura (“cooking”).

Meanings

1. (Jamaica, regional, uncountable) Matter flowing from a wound or sore; pus.
   • Therfor Sathan [...] smoot Joob with a ful wickid botche fro the sole of the foot til to his top; which Joob schauyde the quytere with a schelle, and sat in the dunghil. 1395, John Wycliffe, Bible, Job II:
2. (alt-of, alternative, uncountable) Alternative spelling of quittor (“fistulous wound at the top of a horse's foot”).
   alt of quittor
3. (obsolete, uncountable) Scoria of tin.

Forms

quitter en · VERB · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• /ˈkwɪ.tə/ (UK)
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

From Middle English quitter, from Anglo-Norman quiture, quyture et al., specialised use of quiture (“burn mark, burning”), from the participle stem of cuire (“to cook”), or from Latin coctura (“cooking”).

Meanings

1. To suppurate; ooze with pus.

Forms

quitter en · NOUN · etymology 2

Pronunciation

• /ˈkwɪ.tə/ (UK)
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *kʷyeh₁- Proto-Indo-European *-tis Proto-Indo-European *kʷyéh₁tis Proto-Italic *kʷjētis Latin quiēs Proto-Indo-European *-sḱéti Proto-Italic *-skō Latin -scō Latin quiēscō Proto-Indo-European *-tós Proto-Italic *-tos Latin -tus Medieval Latin quiētusder. Anglo-Norman quitterder. Middle English quiten English quit Proto-Indo-European *-yósder. Proto-Italic *-āzios Latin -āriusnom. Latin -āriusbor. Proto-Germanic *-ārijaz Proto-West Germanic *-ārī Old English -ere Middle English -ere English -er English quitter From quit + -er.

Meanings

1. One who quits, as: ▸ One who gives in.
   • I have never been a quitter. To leave office before my term is completed is abhorrent to every instinct in my body. But as president, I must put the interests of America first. 1974 August 8, Richard Nixon, 2:00 from the start, in Richard Nixon's resignation speech, CBSN:
   • Don't be a quitter — hang in there!
   • Well, they underestimated Hartlepool, and they underestimated me because I am a fighter and not a quitter! 2001, Peter Mandelson, 4:14 from the start, in 2001 victory speech, ITV:
   • Winners never quit and quitters never win.
2. One who quits, as: ▸ One who succeeds in desisting from a vice, especially smoking, drinking, or drugging.
   • Quitters are winners! If you can't quit on the first try, hang in there and try to quit again!
3. (archaic) A leaver.
4. (obsolete) A deliverer.

Forms

Coordinates

never-smoker

Deriveds

ragequitter · spitters are quitters · nonquitter

Hypernyms

ever-smoker

Synonyms

giver-upper

Translations (6)

hu ingatag (one who quits) · bg кръшкач (one who quits) · de Feigling (one who quits) · de Schlappschwanz (one who quits) · hu állhatatlan (one who quits) · de Aufgeber (one who quits)