Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun A post or an object mounted on a post, used as a target in jousting exercises.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun Same as
cinquain , 2. - noun A figure or other object to be tilted at.
- noun The game or exercise of tilting at the quintain.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun An object to be tilted at; -- called also
quintel .
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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It is the custom to hoist married men, who are not blest with children, on the quintain, which is made to revolve rapidly.
Old English Sports 1892
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Then when the carols were ended, the ladies and maidens sat down on the green grass and fresh flowers, and the squires set up a game of tilting called quintain upon the meadows and played till even-song; and then Merlin came to the damsel and asked if he had done what he promised for her.
Tales of the Enchanted Islands of the Atlantic Thomas Wentworth Higginson 1867
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ThQ catching at the apple and, at lead, puts one in mind of the ancient of the quintain, which is now almoft forgot - nd of which a defcription may be found in s Survey of London.
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The four pages were in the tilt yard, where there stood a wooden figure, called a "quintain," which turned round upon an axis, and held a wooden sword in one hand and a buckler in the other.
The Rival Heirs; being the Third and Last Chronicle of Aescendune 1863
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He was a sturdy boy; his right forearm noticeably muscled, probably from long work with the quintain and wooden sword.
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“I will take especial care, both of my person and your token,” Will promised, and rode not to the quintain but into the lists to run at the ring.
Secrets of the Tudor Court Kate Emerson 2010
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For practice, some tilted at the quintain, a stuffed figure on a revolving bar.
Secrets of the Tudor Court Kate Emerson 2010
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“More than a hand will be chilled if you are unseated by the quintain.”
Secrets of the Tudor Court Kate Emerson 2010
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“More than a hand will be chilled if you are unseated by the quintain.”
Secrets of the Tudor Court Kate Emerson 2010
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As I watched Sir William Parr repeatedly pluck the ring from the post and outshine every other competitor at the quintain, too, I could not help but imagine him in that role.
Secrets of the Tudor Court Kate Emerson 2010
chained_bear commented on the word quintain
A target for jousting practice.
August 26, 2008