quaint
pronunciation
How to pronounce quaint in British English:
UK [kweɪnt]
How to pronounce quaint in American English:
US [kweɪnt]
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- Adjective:
- strange in an interesting or pleasing way
- very strange or unusual; odd or even incongruous in character or appearance
- attractively old-fashioned (but not necessarily authentic)
Word Origin
- quaint
- quaint: [13] Quaint was once a more wholehearted term of approval than it is now. In Middle English it meant ‘clever’ or ‘finely or skilfully made’. Its current sense ‘pleasantly curious’ did not emerge until the 18th century. It comes via Old French coint from Latin cognitus ‘known’, the past participle of cognōscere ‘know’ (source of English recognize). The word’s meaning evolved in Old French via the notion of someone who ‘knows’ about something, and hence is an expert at it or is skilful in doing it.=> cognition, recognize
- quaint (adj.)
- c. 1200, cointe, "cunning, ingenious; proud," from Old French cointe "knowledgeable, well-informed; clever; arrogant, proud; elegant, gracious," from Latin cognitus "known, approved," past participle of cognoscere "get or come to know well" (see cognizance). Modern spelling is from early 14c. Later in English, "elaborate, skillfully made" (c. 1300); "strange and clever" (mid-14c.). Sense of "old-fashioned but charming" is first attested 1795, and could describe the word itself, which had become rare after c. 1700 (though it soon recovered popularity in this secondary sense). Related: Quaintly; quaintness.
Synonym
Example
- 1. Quaint , impartial boundary commissioners can take much of the credit .
- 2. These problems are my favourites : quaint and unexpected as well as being morally interesting .
- 3. Remember how there was once a quaint habit called " prostitution " , whereby men paid women to have sex with them .
- 4. Gazetting sounds quaint , but is anything but .
- 5. Arthur cozzens , the geography professor , had a white goatee and a quaint professional manner .