quick

quick
quick (adj.) O.E. cwic "living, alive," from P.Gmc. *kwikwaz (Cf. O.Fris. quik, O.N. kvikr "living, alive," O.H.G. quec "lively," Ger. keck "bold"), from PIE root *gwiwo- "to live" (see BIO- (Cf. bio-)). Sense of "lively, swift" developed by c.1300, on notion of "full of life."
NE swift or the now more common fast may apply to rapid motion of any duration, while in quick (in accordance with its original sense of 'live, lively') there is a notion of 'sudden' or 'soon over.' We speak of a fast horse or runner in a race, a quick starter but not a quick horse. A somewhat similar feeling may distinguish NHG schnell and rasch or it may be more a matter of local preference. [Buck]
Quick-witted is from 1520s.

Etymology dictionary. 2014.

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  • Quick — (von englisch „schnell“) bezeichnet: Quick (Zeitschrift), ein ehemaliges deutsches Zeitungsmagazin Quick (Geldkarte), die elektronische Geldbörse in Österreich Quick (Programmiersprache), eine an C angelehnte Programmiersprache für Atari Computer …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Quick — Quick, a. [Compar. {Quicker}; superl. {Quickest}.] [As. cwic, cwicu, cwucu, cucu, living; akin to OS. quik, D. kwik, OHG. quec, chec, G. keck bold, lively, Icel. kvikr living, Goth. qius, Lith. q[=y]vas, Russ. zhivoi, L. vivus living, vivere to… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Quick — may refer to: * Quick (newspaper), a product of The Dallas Morning News in Texas * QUICK screening, a method to detect endogenous protein protein interactions with very high confidence * Quick clay, a unique form of highly sensitive marine clay * …   Wikipedia

  • quick — [kwik] adj. [ME quik, lively, alive < OE cwicu, living: see BIO ] 1. Archaic living; alive 2. a) rapid; swift [a quick walk] b) done with promptness; prompt [a quick reply] c) …   English World dictionary

  • Quick — Quick, n. 1. That which is quick, or alive; a living animal or plant; especially, the hawthorn, or other plants used in making a living hedge. [1913 Webster] The works . . . are curiously hedged with quick. Evelyn. [1913 Webster] 2. The life; the …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • quick — [ kwik ] n. m. • 1956; nom déposé; mot angl. « rapide » ♦ Matière synthétique dure, poreuse et rougeâtre, utilisée comme revêtement de courts de tennis en plein air. Courts de tennis en quick ou en terre battue. Jouer sur du quick. ⊗ HOM. Couic.… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • quick — 1 fleet, swift, rapid, *fast, speedy, expeditious, hasty Analogous words: brisk, nimble, *agile: abrupt, impetuous, *precipitate, headlong 2 Quick, prompt, ready, apt are comparable when they apply to persons, their mental operations, their acts …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • quick — ► ADJECTIVE 1) moving fast. 2) lasting or taking a short time: a quick worker. 3) with little or no delay; prompt. 4) intelligent. 5) (of a person s eye or ear) keenly perceptive. 6) (of temper) easily roused. ► NOUN …   English terms dictionary

  • quick — quick; quick·hatch; quick·ie; quick·ly; quick·ness; quick·en; over·quick·ly; …   English syllables

  • Quick — Quick, adv. In a quick manner; quickly; promptly; rapidly; with haste; speedily; without delay; as, run quick; get back quick. [1913 Webster] If we consider how very quick the actions of the mind are performed. Locke. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • quick — [adj1] fast, speedy abrupt, accelerated, active, agile, alert, a move on*, animated, ASAP*, breakneck*, brief, brisk, cursory, curt, double time*, energetic, expeditious, expeditive, express, fleet, flying, going, harefooted*, hasty, headlong,… …   New thesaurus

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