English

Noun

quid ‎(plural quids)

1. The inherent nature of something.
2. (US, historical) A section of the Democratic-Republican Party between 1805 and 1811 (from tertium quid).

Etymology 2

Likely derives from the phrase quid pro quo meaning "this for that", referring to the exchange of goods/services for money.

Noun

quid ‎(plural quid or quids)

1. (historical) A sovereign or guinea.
   • Charles Reade

     They invited him to come to-morrow, […] and bring half a quid with him.

2. (Britain, colloquial) Pound sterling.

   Five quid for a sandwich? You're having a laugh!

3. (Australia, colloquial) pound (before the 1966 currency change)
4. (Ireland, colloquial) pound, punt
5. (Ireland, colloquial) euro

Synonyms

• (pound sterling):
  • pound, pound sterling
  • (slang): nicker, sov

Derived terms

• quids in

Etymology 3

Variant of cud.

Noun

quid ‎(plural quids)

1. A piece of chewing tobacco.
   • 1901, W. W. Jacobs, chapter 1, in Light Freights, page 1:

     He broke off to open a small brass tobacco-box and place a little quid of tobacco tenderly into a pouch in his left cheek, ...

2. (US, colloquial) the act of chewing such tobacco

Verb

quid ‎(third-person singular simple present quids, present participle quidding, simple past and past participle quidded)

1. To chew tobacco
   • 1902, John Masefield, A Ballad of John Silver

     Ah! the pig-tailed, quidding pirates and the pretty pranks we played

2. (of a horse) To let food drop from the mouth whilst chewing

See also

French

Etymology

From Latin quid.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kwid/

Pronoun

quid

1. (formal) what about

   Quid de la transparence du programme ?

Synonyms

• Et pour...
• Qu'en est-il de...
• Qu'est-il advenu de...

Italian

Noun

quid m ‎(invariable)

1. A certain something (that is somehow undefinable)

Latin

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European *kʷid, compare *kʷis.

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /kʷid/, [kᶣɪd]

Pronoun

quid

1. inflection of quis:
   1. neuter nominative singular
   2. neuter accusative singular

   Quid dico?‎

   What do I say?

Derived terms

• quid tibi nomen est?
• quid nomen tibi est?
• quid si? (what if?)

  Quid si illud addimus.

• quid tum? (what then? how then?)
• quid ergo (ironically)
• quid agis?
• quid ais?

Adverb

quid

1. why? what for?
   • Gesta Danorum ‎(“deeds of the Danes”) by Saxo Grammaticus (in Latin caput 8, liber 1, translation in English chapter 8, book 1)

     Quid gladio pugnas incurvo?

     Why do you fight with a bent sword?

Derived terms

• quid ni?/quidni? (why not?)
• quid ita? (why so?)

Related terms

• quod
• quis

Descendants

References

• quid in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• quid in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• Félix Gaffiot (1934), “quid”, in Dictionnaire Illustré Latin-Français, Paris: Hachette.
• Meissner, Carl; Auden, Henry William (1894) Latin Phrase-Book, London: Macmillan and Co.
  • (ambiguous) if anything should happen to me; if I die: si quid (humanitus) mihi accidat or acciderit
    
  • (ambiguous) what will become of him: quid illo fiet?
    
  • (ambiguous) what am I to do with this fellow: quid huic homini (also hoc homine) faciam?
    
  • (ambiguous) how came it that...: quid causae fuit cur...?
    
  • (ambiguous) what is the use of: quid attinet? with Infin.
    
  • (ambiguous) give me your opinion: dic quid sentias
    
  • (ambiguous) I am undecided..: incertus sum, quid consilii capiam
    
  • (ambiguous) what do you mean to do: quid tibi vis?
    
  • (ambiguous) what is the meaning of this: quid hoc sibi vult?
    
  • (ambiguous) what is the meaning of this: quid hoc rei est?
    
  • (ambiguous) to determine the nature and constitution of the subject under discussion: constituere, quid et quale sit, de quo disputetur
    
  • (ambiguous) what is the meaning, the original sense of this word: quid significat, sonat haec vox?
    
  • (ambiguous) what do we mean by 'virtue': quid est virtus?
    
  • (ambiguous) what sort of humour are you in: quid tibi animi est?
    
  • (ambiguous) what will become of me: quid (de) me fiet? (Ter. Heaut. 4. 3. 37)
    
  • (ambiguous) how are you: quid agis?
    
  • (ambiguous) what is going on? how are you getting on: quid agitur? quid fit?
    
  • (ambiguous) let the consuls take measures for the protection of the state: videant or dent operam consules, ne quid res publica detrimenti capiat (Catil. 1. 2. 4)
    
  • (ambiguous) what is your opinion: quid censes? quid tibi videtur?
    
  • (ambiguous) what is your opinion: quid de ea re fieri placet?
    
  • (ambiguous) to say the least..: ne (quid) gravius dicam
    
  • (ambiguous) in short; to be brief: ne multa, quid plura? sed quid opus est plura?
    
  • (ambiguous) no wonder: nec mirum, minime mirum (id quidem), quid mirum?
    

Spanish

Noun

quid m ‎(plural quids)

1. gist; point; crux