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quar·rel²

(kwôrəl, kwŏr-)

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 k^wetwer- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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