This list includes 49 Nouns that start with Q, from “quack” to “quotient”. Many English Q nouns pair with a following “u”, and several come from Latin or French. Use this list for study, writing, vocabulary building, or classroom activities.
Nouns that start with Q are words that name people, places, things, or ideas beginning with Q. Many come from Latin or French, reflecting historical trade and scholarship.
Below you’ll find the table with Noun, Definition, and Example.
Noun: You find the base word here, helping with lookup and recognition in reading or writing.
Definition: You get a concise one-line meaning to understand usage and choose the correct sense quickly.
Example: You see a short natural sentence that shows how the noun appears in normal speech or writing.
Nouns that start with Q
| Noun | Countability | Plural | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| quack | countable | quacks | The newspaper exposed the doctor as a complete quack. |
| quadrangle | countable | quadrangles | Students gathered in the grassy quadrangle between classes. |
| quadrant | countable | quadrants | The graph was divided into four separate quadrants. |
| quadrilateral | countable | quadrilaterals | A square is a type of quadrilateral with equal sides. |
| quadruped | countable | quadrupeds | Horses, dogs, and elephants are all examples of quadrupeds. |
| quadruplet | countable | quadruplets | The proud parents welcomed a set of healthy quadruplets. |
| quagmire | countable | quagmires | The political debate descended into a confusing quagmire. |
| quail | countable | quail | The hunter spotted a quail in the tall grass. |
| quality | both | qualities | Honesty is a very important quality to have. |
| qualm | countable | qualms | He had no qualms about reporting the cheating. |
| quandary | countable | quandaries | I was in a quandary about whether to accept the job offer. |
| quantity | both | quantities | We need a large quantity of sand for this project. |
| quantum | countable | quanta | The theory describes energy being released in discrete quanta. |
| quarrel | countable | quarrels | My siblings and I used to have silly quarrels. |
| quarry | countable | quarries | The lioness stalked her unsuspecting quarry through the savanna. |
| quart | countable | quarts | The recipe calls for one quart of milk. |
| quarter | countable | quarters | He paid for the parking meter with a quarter. |
| quarterback | countable | quarterbacks | The quarterback threw a perfect pass for a touchdown. |
| quartet | countable | quartets | A string quartet played beautiful music at the wedding. |
| quartz | uncountable | She wore a beautiful necklace made of rose quartz. | |
| quasar | countable | quasars | Astronomers used the telescope to study a distant quasar. |
| quaver | countable | quavers | There was a slight quaver in her voice as she spoke. |
| quay | countable | quays | The fishing boats were all moored at the quay. |
| queen | countable | queens | The queen is the most powerful piece in a game of chess. |
| query | countable | queries | I have a query about the details of the contract. |
| quest | countable | quests | The knight’s quest was to find the legendary sword. |
| question | countable | questions | Please raise your hand if you have a question. |
| questionnaire | countable | questionnaires | All participants were asked to fill out a short questionnaire. |
| queue | countable | queues | We had to wait in a long queue to buy tickets. |
| quibble | countable | quibbles | Let’s not get into a quibble over such a minor detail. |
| quiche | both | quiches | We had a delicious spinach and feta quiche for lunch. |
| quicksand | uncountable | The explorers were warned to avoid the dangerous quicksand. | |
| quiet | uncountable | I enjoy the peace and quiet of the countryside. | |
| quiff | countable | quiffs | He styled his hair into a tall, impressive quiff. |
| quill | countable | quills | Long ago, people wrote with a quill dipped in ink. |
| quilt | countable | quilts | My grandmother made me a beautiful patchwork quilt. |
| quince | countable | quinces | She made a delicious jam from the quinces in her garden. |
| quintessence | countable | quintessences | That painting is the quintessence of the Romantic art movement. |
| quintet | countable | quintets | The jazz quintet played a lively set at the club. |
| quintuplet | countable | quintuplets | The birth of quintuplets is a very rare event. |
| quip | countable | quips | He was known for his clever quips and witty remarks. |
| quirk | countable | quirks | One of his quirks is that he always wears mismatched socks. |
| quisling | countable | quislings | He was branded a quisling for collaborating with the enemy. |
| quiver | countable | quivers | The archer reached back to pull an arrow from his quiver. |
| quiz | countable | quizzes | Our teacher gave us a pop quiz on historical dates. |
| quorum | countable | quorums | The meeting was canceled because they did not have a quorum. |
| quota | countable | quotas | The sales team was expected to meet its monthly quota. |
| quotation | countable | quotations | He began his speech with a famous quotation from Shakespeare. |
| quotient | countable | quotients | The quotient of 10 divided by 2 is 5. |
Descriptions
quack
A person who dishonestly claims to have special knowledge and skill in some field, typically medicine.
quadrangle
A four-sided courtyard, especially one surrounded by buildings at a college or school.
quadrant
One of four equal parts into which a circle or other shape has been divided.
quadrilateral
A flat shape in geometry with four straight sides, such as a square or trapezoid.
quadruped
An animal that has four feet. The term is most often used for mammals.
quadruplet
One of four children born to the same mother at a single birth.
quagmire
A complex or difficult situation that is hard to escape; also a soft, boggy area of land.
quail
A small, short-tailed bird. The plural is often just ‘quail’ when referring to them as game.
quality
A distinctive attribute or characteristic possessed by someone or something; also refers to the standard of something.
qualm
A feeling of unease or doubt about one’s own conduct.
quandary
A state of perplexity or uncertainty over what to do in a difficult situation.
quantity
The amount or number of a material or abstract thing, especially one that can be measured.
quantum
The smallest possible discrete unit of any physical property, fundamental to quantum mechanics.
quarrel
An angry argument or disagreement, typically between people who are on good terms.
quarry
An animal pursued by a hunter; also, a place where stone is extracted from the ground.
quart
A unit of liquid capacity equal to a quarter of a gallon or two pints.
quarter
One of four equal parts; a 25-cent coin in the US and Canada; a district in a city.
quarterback
A key offensive player in American or Canadian football who directs the team’s plays.
quartet
A group of four people playing music or singing together, or a piece of music for four performers.
quartz
A hard, crystalline mineral made of silicon and oxygen, often used in jewelry and electronics.
quasar
An extremely luminous and distant celestial object, believed to be a galactic nucleus.
quaver
A shake or tremble in a person’s voice, often caused by nervousness or emotion.
quay
A stone or metal platform lying alongside or projecting into water for loading and unloading ships.
queen
The female ruler of an independent state; also the wife of a king.
query
A question, especially one addressed to an official organization or expressing doubt.
quest
A long or arduous search for something important or valuable.
question
A sentence worded or expressed so as to elicit information; a matter for discussion.
questionnaire
A set of printed questions with a choice of answers, devised for a survey or statistical study.
queue
A line or sequence of people or vehicles awaiting their turn to be attended to or to proceed.
quibble
A slight objection or criticism about a trivial matter.
quiche
A baked flan or tart with a savory filling thickened with eggs.
quicksand
Loose, wet sand that yields easily to pressure and can suck in anything on its surface.
quiet
The absence of noise or disturbance.
quiff
A tuft of hair, especially one brushed upward and back from the forehead.
quill
A stiff, hollow spine on a porcupine or hedgehog; also, a main wing or tail feather of a bird.
quilt
A warm bed covering made of padding enclosed between layers of fabric.
quince
A hard, acidic, pear-shaped fruit used in preserves and desserts.
quintessence
The most perfect or typical example of a quality or class.
quintet
A group of five people playing music or singing together.
quintuplet
One of five children born to the same mother at one birth.
quip
A witty, clever, or funny remark, often made on the spur of the moment.
quirk
A peculiar aspect of a person’s character or behavior; an odd habit.
quisling
A traitor who works with an enemy force occupying their country. From Norwegian politician Vidkun Quisling.
quiver
A case for carrying arrows; also, a slight trembling movement or sound.
quiz
A test of knowledge, especially a brief, informal one given to students or as entertainment.
quorum
The minimum number of members of a committee or society who must be present to make its proceedings valid.
quota
A fixed share of something that a person or group is entitled to receive or is bound to contribute.
quotation
A group of words taken from a text or speech and repeated by someone else.
quotient
A result obtained by dividing one quantity by another.