Online Etymology Dictionary

quincunx (n.): 1640s, originally astrological, of planetary alignments, from Latin, literally "five ounces," from quinque "five" (see quinque-) + uncia "ounce, a twelfth part," related to unus "one" (see one). Applied, especially in garden design, to arrangements like the five pips on a playing card (1660s).
quinella (n.): form of betting in which the bettor picks the first and second horses in a given race, 1942, American English, from American Spanish quiniela, originally a ball game with five players, from Latin quini "five each," from quinque "five" (see quinque-). The sense evolution in Spanish was said to be from the game to a wager on the scores of the players, hence "any wager against the house."
quinine (n.): alkaloid responsible for curative properties in the cinchona tree, 1826, from French (1820), with chemical ending -in (2) + Spanish quina "cinchona bark" (from which it is extracted), from Quechua (Peru) kina.
quinoa (n.): 1620s, from Spanish spelling of Quechua kinua.
quinque-: word-forming element meaning "five," from Latin quinque "five," from PIE *penqwe (see five).
quinquennial (adj.): mid-15c., "lasting five years," from Latin quinquennis, from quinque- (see quinque-) + ending from biennial, etc. Meaning "happening every five years" attested from c.1600.
quinsy (n.): "severe sore throat," c.1300, qwinaci, from Old French quinancie, from Late Latin cynanche, from Greek kynankhe "dog strangling," originally "dog collar," from kyon (genitive kynos) "dog" (see canine) + ankhein "to strangle," cognate with Latin angere (see anger (v.)).
quint (n.): 1520s, "a tax of one-fifth," from Middle French quint, from Latin quintus, ordinal to quinque "five" (see quinque-). First attested 1935 as a shortening of quintuplet (American English; British preferred quin); used originally of the Dionne quintuplets, born May 28, 1934, near Callander, Ontario, Canada.
quinta (n.): "country house, villa," 1754, from Spanish and Portuguese quinta, originally a farm and house let out for a rent of one-fifth of its produce, from Latin quintus, related to quinque "five" (see quinque-).
quintain (n.): c.1400 (in Anglo-Latin from mid-13c.), from Old French quintaine or directly from Medieval Latin quintana, perhaps from Latin quintana "fifth" (see quinque-), the name of the business part of a camp, on the supposition that this was where military exercises were done.
quintal (n.): "a weight of a hundred pounds," late 15c., from Old French quintal, from Medieval Latin quintale, from Arabic quintar, from Late Greek kentenarion, from Latin centenarius "containing a hundred" (see centenary).
quintessence (n.): early 15c., in ancient and medieval philosophy, "pure essence, substance of which the heavenly bodies are composed," literally "fifth essence," from Middle French quinte essence (14c.), from Medieval Latin quinta essentia, from Latin quinta, fem. of quintus "fifth" (see quinque-) + essentia (see Parousia). A loan-translation of Greek pempte ousia, the "ether" added by Aristotle to the four known elements (water, earth, fire, air) and said to permeate all things. Its extraction was one of the chief goals of alchemy. Sense of "purest essence" (of a situation, character, etc.) is first recorded 1580s.
quintessential (adj.): c.1600, from quintessence (Medieval Latin quint essentia) + -al (1). Related: Quintessentially.
quintet (n.): 1811, "composition for five voices," from Italian quintetto, diminutive of quinto "fifth," from Latin quintus, related to quinque "five" (see quinque-). Meaning "set of five singers or players" is from 1882.
quintile (n.): early 17c., originally in astrology, from Latin quintus "fifth" (see quinque-) + -ile, from quartile. Use in statistics dates to 1951.
quintillion (n.): 1670s, from Latin quintus "fifth" (see quinque-) + ending from million. Cf. billion. In Great Britain, the fifth power of a million (1 followed by 30 zeroes); in U.S. the sixth power of a thousand (1 followed by 18 zeroes).
quintuple: 1560s (adj.); 1630s (v.), from French quintuple (adj.); quintupler (v.); from Latin quintus "fifth," related to quinque "five" (see quinque-) on model of quadruple. Related: Quintupled; quintupling.
quintuplet (n.): 1873, "set of five things" (originally in music), from quintuple (adj.), 1560s, from Middle French quintuple, from Latin quintus "fifth" (see quinque-). In plural, "five children at one birth" it is recorded from 1889.
quip (n.): 1530s, variant of quippy in same sense (1510s), perhaps from Latin quippe "indeed, forsooth" (used sarcastically), from quid "what," neuter of quis "who" (cf. quibble (n.)) + emphatic particle -pe.
quip (v.): 1580s, from quip (n.). Related: Quipped; quipping.
quipu (n.): 1704, from Quechua quipu "knot."
quire (n.1): early 13c., "set of four folded pages for a book, pamphlet consisting of a single quire," from Anglo-French quier, Old French quaier, from Vulgar Latin *quaternus, from Latin quaterni "four each," from quater "four times." Meaning "standard unit for selling paper" first recorded late 14c.
quire (n.2): early form of choir (q.v.).
Quirinal: royal palace in Rome, 1838, from Mons Quirinalis in Rome (one of the seven hills, site of a former Papal palace), from Quirinus, said to be the divine name of Romulus, but really one of the original trinity of Roman gods, representing Mars. His feast (Quirinalia) was Feb. 17. Used metonymically for "the Italian government," especially as distinguished from the Vatican.
quirk (n.): 1560s, "quibble, evasion," of unknown origin, perhaps connected to German quer (see queer) via notion of twisting and slanting; but its earliest appearance in western England dialect seems to argue against this source. Perhaps originally a technical term for a twist or flourish in weaving. Sense of "peculiarity" is c.1600.
quirky (adj.): 1806, "shifty," from quirk + -y (2). Sense of "idiosyncratic" first recorded 1960. Related: Quirkiness.
quirt (n.): 1845, from Mexican Spanish cuarta.
quisling (n.): 1940, from Vidkun Quisling (1887-1945), Norwegian fascist politician who headed the puppet government during the German occupation of Norway in World War II; shot for treason after German defeat. First used in London Times of April 15, 1940, in a Swedish context.
quit (v.): c.1200, "to repay, discharge" (a debt. etc.), from Old French quiter, from quite (see quit (adj.)). Meaning "to reward, give reward" is mid-13c., that of "take revenge; to answer, retort" and "to acquit oneself" are late 14c. From c.1300 as "to acquit (of a charge), declare not guilty." Sense of "leave, depart" is attested from c.1400; that of "stop" (doing something) is from 1640s. Meaning "to give up, relinquish" is from mid-15c. Related: Quitted; quitting. Quitting time is from 1835.
quit (adj.): early 13c., "free, clear," from Old French quite "free, clear," from Latin quietus "free" (in Medieval Latin "free from war, debts, etc."), also "calm, resting" (see quiet).
quite (adv.): early 14c., adverbial form of Middle English quit, quite (adj.) "free, clear" (see quit (v.)). Originally "thoroughly;" the weaker sense of "fairly" is attested from mid-19c.
quits (adj.): "even" (with another), 1660s; see quit (adj.).
quitter (n.): as an insult, 1881, American English, agent noun from quit (v.).
quiver (v.): "to tremble," late 15c., perhaps imitative, or possibly an alteration of quaveren (see quaver), or from Old English cwifer-, perhaps related to cwic "alive" (see quick). Related: Quivered; quivering.
quiver (n.): "case for holding arrows," early 14c., from Anglo-French quiveir, Old French quivre, probably from Proto-Germanic *kukur "container" (cf. Old High German kohhari, Old Frisian koker, Old English cocur "quiver"); said to be from the language of the Huns.
quixotic (adj.): "extravagantly chivalrous," 1791, from Don Quixote, romantic, impractical hero of Cervantes' satirical novel "Don Quixote de la Mancha" (1605). His name literally means "thigh," also "a cuisse" (a piece of armor for the thigh), in Modern Spanish quijote, from Latin coxa "hip."
quiz: 1847, quies, perhaps from Latin qui es? "who are you?," first question in oral exams in Latin in old-time grammar schools. Spelling quiz first recorded 1886, though it was in use as a noun from 1867, perhaps from apparently unrelated slang word quiz meaning "odd person" (1782, source of quizzical). The anecdote that credits this word to a bet by the Dublin theater-manager Daly that he could coin a word is regarded by authorities as "doubtful" and the first record of it appears to be in 1836 (in Smart's "Walker Remodelled"; the story is omitted in the edition of 1840).
quizzical: 1789, from quiz "odd or eccentric person" (1782), of unknown origin (see quiz).
quo warranto: Medieval Latin, literally "by what warrant."
quod: "prison," c.1700, a cant slang word of unknown origin.
quodlibet (n.): "a nicety, subtlety," late 14c., Latin, literally "what you will," from quod "what" + libet "it pleases" (see love).
quoin (n.): 1530s, "a cornerstone," variant of coin (n.), originally in other senses of that word, too, including "a wedge."
quoit (n.): late 14c., "curling stone," perhaps from Old French coite "flat stone" (with which the game was originally played), literally "cushion," variant of coilte (see quilt). Quoits were among the games prohibited by Edward III and Richard II to encourage archery. In reference to a heavy flat iron ring (and the tossing game played with it) it is recorded from mid-15c.
quondam: 1530s, Latin, literally "formerly," used in English as a noun meaning "former holder of some office or position."
Quonset hut: 1942, from Quonset Point Naval Air Station, Rhode Island, where this type of structure was first built, 1941. The place name is from a southern New England Algonquian language and perhaps means "small, long place."
quorate (n.): 1969, from quorum + -ate (1).
quorum (n.): early 15c., in reference to certain eminent justices of the peace, from Latin quorum "of whom," genitive plural of qui (see who). The traditional wording of the commission appointing justices of the peace translates as, "We have also assigned you, and every two or more of you (of whom [quoram vos] any one of you the aforesaid A, B, C, D, etc. we will shall be one) our justices to inquire the truth more fully." The justices so-named were usually called the justices of the quorum. Meaning "fixed number of members whose presence is necessary to transact business" is first recorded 1610s.
quota (n.): 1660s, from Medieval Latin quota, from Latin quota pars "how large a part," from quota, fem. singular of quotus "which, what number (in sequence)." See quote. Earliest reference is to contributions of soldiers or supplies levied from a town or district; immigration sense is from 1921.
quotable (adj.): 1821, from quote (v.) + -able. Related: Quotably.
quotation (n.): mid-15c., "numbering," later (1530s) "marginal notation," from Medieval Latin quotationem (nominative quotatio), from quotare "to number" (see quote). Meaning "passage quoted" is from 1680s. Quotation marks attested by 1777.