n. 1. An interaction in which the parties involved express angry disagreement with one another: I changed the subject to avoid being drawn into a quarrel. 2. A reason for a dispute or argument: We have no quarrel with the findings of the committee. intr.v. quar·reled, quar·rel·ing, quar·rels or quar·relled or quar·rel·ling 1. To express angry disagreement; engage in a quarrel: The children quarreled over the last piece of cake. See Synonyms at argue. 2. To find fault or disagree: I quarrel with your conclusions. [Middle English querele, from Old French, complaint, from Latin querella, querēla, from querī, to complain; see kwes- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] quarrel·er (quarrel·ler) n. |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
n. 1. A bolt for a crossbow. 2. A tool, such as a stonemason's chisel, that has a squared head. 3. A small diamond-shaped or square pane of glass in a latticed window. [Middle English quarel, from Old French, from Vulgar Latin *quadrellus, diminutive of Late Latin quadrus, square, from Latin quadrum; see kwetwer- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.