Etymology
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quint (n.)

mid-15c., quinte (late 13c. in Anglo-French), "a tax of one-fifth," from Old French quint, from Latin quintus "the fifth," ordinal to quinque "five" (from PIE root *penkwe- "five"). Used in English for "group or set of five" since 17c. First attested 1935 as a shortening of quintuplet (American English; British English prefers quin); used originally of the Dionne quintuplets, born May 28, 1934, near Callander, Ontario, Canada (compare quin).

Entries linking to quint

*penkwe- 

Proto-Indo-European root meaning "five."

It forms all or part of: cinquain; cinque; cinquecento; cinquefoil; fifteen; fifth; fifty; fin (n.) "five-dollar bill;" finger; fist; five; foist; keno; parcheesi; penta-; pentacle; pentad; Pentateuch; Pentecost; pentagon; pentagram; pentameter; pentathlon; Pentothal; Pompeii; Punjab; punch (n.2) "type of mixed drink;" quinary; quincunx; quinella; quinque-; quinquennial; quint; quintain; quintet; quintile; quintessence; quintillion; quintuple.

It is the hypothetical source of/evidence for its existence is provided by: Sanskrit panca, Greek pente, Latin quinque, Old Church Slavonic pęti, Lithuanian penki, Old Welsh pimp, Old English fif, Dutch vijf, Old High German funf.

quin (n.)

1935, originally in reference to the Dionne babies, short for quintuplet "one of five" (children born at one birth).

updated on March 15, 2021

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Definitions of quint from WordNet

quint (n.)
the cardinal number that is the sum of four and one;
Synonyms: five / " / v / cinque / quintet / fivesome / quintuplet / pentad / fin / Phoebe / Little Phoebe
quint (n.)
one of five children born at the same time from the same pregnancy;
Synonyms: quintuplet / quin
From wordnet.princeton.edu, not affiliated with etymonline.

Dictionary entries near quint

quinoa

quinquangular

quinque-

quinquennial

quinsy

quint

quinta

quintain

quintal

quintessence

quintessential

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