n. A riding whip with a short, stiff handle and a lash made of two or more loose thongs. [Probably from Mexican Spanish cuarta (from Spanish, quarter, span (unit of length), quarter of a yard (the quirt possibly being so called because its handle was a cuarta in length)), from Old Spanish, quarter, from Latin quārta, fourth; see QUART, or perhaps from Spanish cuerda, cord (from Old Spanish, from Latin chorda; see CORD).] |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.