Quirk
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C1 noun /kwɜːrk/

Quirk

bizarrerie; manie
Meaning
a peculiar behavioral habit; an unexpected turn or twist
Example
Her quirk of always wearing mismatched socks made her unique.
Son habitude étrange de toujours porter des chaussettes dépareillées la rendait unique.
B2 noun/verb /ˈkwɒr.ən.tiːn/

quarantine

quarantaine
Meaning
A period of isolation to prevent the spread of disease.
Example
The travelers were placed in quarantine for two weeks.
Les voyageurs ont été placés en quarantaine pendant deux semaines.
C2 noun /ˈkwɒdrʊpɛd/

quadruped

quadrupède
Meaning
an animal that walks on four feet
Example
Most mammals are quadruped creatures adapted for running and stability.
La plupart des mammifères sont des créatures quadrupèdes adaptées à la course et à la stabilité.
C1 noun /kwoʊ/

quo

état
Meaning
The existing state of affairs or situation, often used in the phrase 'status quo'.
Example
He wanted to maintain the status quo at work.
Il voulait maintenir l'état actuel au travail.
C1 noun /ˈkwɒn.dər.i/

Quandary

dilemme; hésitation
Meaning
a difficult situation where you cannot decide what to do; dilemma
Example
She was in a quandary about which job offer to accept.
Elle était dans un dilemme sur quelle offre d'emploi accepter.
C1 noun /kiː/

quay

quai
Meaning
A platform lying alongside or projecting into water for loading and unloading ships.
Example
The cargo was unloaded at the quay.
La cargaison a été déchargée au quai.
B2 noun /kwəʊˈteɪʃən/

quotation

citation; devis
Meaning
a group of words taken from a text or speech and repeated exactly; an estimated price given for goods or services
Example
The article opened with a famous quotation from Shakespeare.
L’article s’ouvrait par une citation célèbre de Shakespeare.
B1 noun /kjuː/

Queue

file; rangée
Meaning
a line of people or things waiting for something; a sequence
Example
We had to wait in a long queue to buy tickets for the movie.
Nous avons dû attendre dans une longue file pour acheter des billets pour le film.
C1 noun /kwæk/

Quack

charlatan
Meaning
a person who pretends to be a doctor but has no medical training; the sound a duck makes
Example
People should be careful not to trust medical advice from a quack.
Les gens devraient faire attention à ne pas faire confiance aux conseils médicaux d'un charlatan.
A2 adjective /ˈkwaɪ.ɪt/

Quiet

silencieux; calme; tranquille; faisant peu ou pas de bruit
Meaning
silent; peaceful; calm; making little or no noise
Example
Please keep quiet during the movie.
Veuillez rester calme pendant le film.
C1 verb /ˈkwɪvər/

quiver

trembler
Meaning
To tremble or shake with slight but rapid motion.
Example
Her lips began to quiver as she tried not to cry.
Ses lèvres ont commencé à trembler quand elle a essayé de ne pas pleurer.
C1 noun/verb /kwɪp/

quip

remarque drôle
Meaning
A witty remark; to make a witty or clever comment.
Example
She quipped about the weather during the meeting.
Elle a fait une remarque drôle sur la météo pendant la réunion.
C1 noun /kwɪnˈtɛt/

quintet

quintette
Meaning
A group of five people or things, especially musicians.
Example
The jazz quintet performed beautifully.
Le quintette de jazz a joué magnifiquement.
C1 adjective ˈkwɒn.tɪ.faɪ.ə.bəl

quantifiable

quantifiable
Meaning
Able to be expressed or measured as a quantity; capable of being counted or calculated.
Example
The impact of the project is quantifiable.
L'impact du projet est quantifiable.
C1 verb /kwɛl/

quell

réprimer
Meaning
To suppress or put an end to something, usually by force.
Example
The police were called to quell the violent protest.
La police a été appelée pour réprimer la manifestation violente.
B2 noun /kwest/

Quest

quête; recherche
Meaning
a journey or search for something; an adventure to achieve a goal
Example
The knight embarked on a quest to find the legendary treasure.
Le chevalier entreprit une quête pour trouver le trésor légendaire.
A1 noun /ˈkwes.tʃən/

Question

question; phrase interrogative;
Meaning
a sentence asking for information or a response; an interrogative expression
Example
The teacher asked a difficult question during the exam.
Le professeur a posé une question difficile pendant l'examen.
A2 noun ˈkwɒl.ɪ.ti

quality

qualité
Meaning
The standard of something as measured against other things of a similar kind; the degree of excellence of something.
Example
Quality assurance is vital in medical education.
L'assurance qualité est essentielle dans l'éducation médicale.
B2 noun ˈkwɒlɪti sliːp

quality sleep

sommeil de qualité
Meaning
Deep and healthy sleep that is adequate and restorative, ensuring physical and mental well-being
Example
Quality sleep improves cognitive function and overall health.
Le sommeil de qualité améliore la fonction cognitive et la santé en général.
C2 noun /kwaɪˈiːtəs/

Quietus

mort ou quelque chose qui cause la mort ; une résolution finale
Meaning
death or something that causes death; a final settlement
Example
The hero received his quietus from the villain's sword.
Le héros a reçu son quietus de l'épée du vilain.
C2 noun kwɔːrk

quark

quark
Meaning
A fundamental subatomic particle that combines to form protons and neutrons.
Example
Quarks form protons and neutrons.
Les quarks forment des protons et des neutrons.
A2 adverb /kwaɪt/

Quite

assez; plutôt; complètement
Meaning
to a considerable extent; fairly; rather; completely
Example
The movie was quite interesting.
Le film était assez intéressant.
C2 noun /ˈkwɪzlɪŋ/

quisling

traître
Meaning
A traitor who collaborates with an enemy force occupying their country.
Example
During the war, he was branded a quisling for aiding the invaders.
Pendant la guerre, il a été étiqueté comme un quisling pour avoir aidé les envahisseurs.
C2 verb, noun /ˈkweɪvər/

quaver

trembler
Meaning
To shake or tremble in speaking, typically through nervousness or emotion.
Example
Her voice quavered as she spoke before the crowd.
Sa voix tremblait lorsqu'elle parlait devant la foule.
C2 adjective /ˈkwɒdreɪt/

quadrate

carré
Meaning
square or nearly square; having four sides or being suited or corresponding to something
Example
The tiles had a neat quadrate shape that made the floor look orderly.
Les carreaux avaient une forme carrée nette qui donnait à le sol un aspect ordonné.
B2 noun /ˈkwɪə.ri/

Query

question; demande d'information;
Meaning
a question or inquiry; a request for information
Example
I have a query about the new policy changes in the company.
J'ai une question sur les nouveaux changements de politique dans l'entreprise.
C1 verb/noun /ˈkwɪbəl/

quibble

disputer pour des broutilles
Meaning
To argue or raise objections about a trivial matter; a petty objection.
Example
They quibbled over who should pay the bill.
Ils ont discuté de qui devrait payer la facture.
C2 adjective /kwəʊˈtɪdiən/

quotidian

quotidien, ordinaire
Meaning
Ordinary or everyday, especially when mundane.
Example
He focused on the quotidian details of family life.
Il s'est concentré sur les détails quotidiens de la vie familiale.
B2 noun /kwɪlt/

Quilt

couette
Meaning
a warm bed covering made of padding enclosed between layers of fabric
Example
Grandmother made a beautiful quilt with colorful patches for my bed.
Ma grand-mère a fait une belle couette avec des patches colorés pour mon lit.
C2 noun /kwɪˈɛsəns/

quiescence

quiescence
Meaning
A state of quietness, inactivity, or dormancy.
Example
The volcano has been in a state of quiescence for decades.
Le volcan est en état de quiescence depuis des décennies.
B2 adjective /ˈkwɜːrki/

quirky

original
Meaning
Unusual in an interesting, charming, or odd way.
Example
She has a quirky sense of fashion that makes her stand out.
Elle a un sens de la mode original qui la fait se démarquer.
C2 noun /ˈkwɪkˌsɪlvər/

quicksilver

mercure
Meaning
Mercury; a liquid metal, or something that is quick and unpredictable.
Example
His mood was as changeable as quicksilver.
Son humeur était aussi changeante que le mercure.
C1 noun /ˈkwɔːrəm/

quorum

quorum
Meaning
The minimum number of members needed to conduct official business in a meeting.
Example
The board meeting was postponed because there was no quorum.
La réunion du conseil a été reportée car il n'y avait pas de quorum.
C1 adjective /ˈkwɪzɪkəl/

quizzical

perplexe, interrogatif
Meaning
Expressing mild or amused puzzlement.
Example
She gave him a quizzical look when he made the strange comment.
Elle lui a lancé un regard interrogateur lorsqu'il a fait le commentaire étrange.
C1 verb, noun /kweɪl/

quail

avoir peur; un petit oiseau à courte queue
Meaning
verb: to feel or show fear; noun: a small, short-tailed bird
Example
She quailed at the sight of the approaching storm.
Elle s'est effrayée à la vue de la tempête qui approchait.
C1 adjective /ˈkwɑː.rəl.səm/

Quarrelsome

querelleur; conflictuel; bagarreur
Meaning
given to arguing and fighting; argumentative and confrontational
Example
His quarrelsome nature makes it difficult to work with him.
Sa nature querelleuse rend difficile de travailler avec lui.
A2 verb /kwɪt/

quit

quitter
Meaning
to stop doing something; to leave a job or position
Example
She decided to quit her job and start her own business.
Elle a décidé de quitter son travail et de créer sa propre entreprise.
B2 noun /ˈkwɒr.əl/

Quarrel

querelle; dispute
Meaning
an angry argument or disagreement between people
Example
They had a quarrel about money and stopped talking to each other.
Ils ont eu une querelle à propos de l'argent et ont cessé de se parler.
C2 verb /kwɒf/

quaff

boire d'un coup
Meaning
to drink something heartily or in large gulps, especially an alcoholic drink
Example
He quaffed a mug of ale after the long day.
Il a bu d'un coup une chope de bière après une longue journée.
B2 noun /ˈkwɔːtərˌbæk/

quarterback

quart-arrière
Meaning
the player who directs a team’s offense in American football
Example
The quarterback threw a perfect pass.
Le quart-arrière a lancé une passe parfaite.
B1 noun /ˈkwɒl.ɪ.ti taɪm/

quality time

temps de qualité
Meaning
Time spent giving someone your full attention in order to strengthen your relationship with them.
Example
Spending quality time with family enhances relationships.
Passer du temps de qualité avec sa famille améliore les relations.
C1 noun (plural) /kwɑːmz/

qualms

scrupules
Meaning
feelings of doubt, worry, or uneasiness
Example
He had serious qualms about accepting the offer.
Il avait de sérieuses inquiétudes à propos d'accepter l'offre.
B2 adjective /ˈkwestʃənəbl/

Questionable

suspect
Meaning
doubtful; dubious; suspicious; open to doubt or suspicion
Example
His questionable business practices led to an investigation.
Ses pratiques commerciales suspectes ont conduit à une enquête.
C1 verb /ˈkwentʃɪŋ/

quenching

étancher / éteindre
Meaning
The act of satisfying thirst or extinguishing something like fire.
Example
Drinking cold water was quenching her thirst.
Boire de l'eau froide étanchait sa soif.
C1 adjective /ˈkwɑː.drʊ.pəl/

Quadruple

quadruple
Meaning
four times as much or as many; consisting of four parts
Example
The company's profits have shown quadruple growth this year.
Les bénéfices de l'entreprise ont montré une croissance quadruple cette année.
B1 noun /ˈkwɔː.tər/

Quarter

quart
Meaning
one of four equal parts of something; a period of three months
Example
The company reported strong profits in the first quarter of the year.
L'entreprise a rapporté de solides bénéfices au premier trimestre de l'année.
C2 noun /ˈkwɔːrtoʊ/

quarto

livre de format quarto
Meaning
A book size resulting from folding each printed sheet into four leaves (eight pages).
Example
The library has rare Shakespeare quartos.
La bibliothèque possède de rares quartos de Shakespeare.
C1 adjective ˌkwɪn.tɪˈsen.ʃəl

quintessential

l'exemple parfait ou typique d'une qualité ou d'une classe
Meaning
representing the most perfect or typical example of a quality or class.
Example
The artist's work is the quintessential example of modernism.
Le travail de l'artiste est l'exemple quintessential du modernisme.
B1 noun /ˈkwɒn.tə.ti/

Quantity

quantité; nombre; volume
Meaning
an amount or number of something; the measurable property of something
Example
The quantity of water in the bottle is sufficient for the trip.
La quantité d'eau dans la bouteille est suffisante pour le voyage.
B2 noun /ˈkwɔː.tərz/

Quarters

logement; quartiers; logement militaire
Meaning
living accommodation; lodgings; military housing
Example
The soldiers returned to their quarters after the training exercise.
Les soldats sont retournés à leurs quartiers après l'exercice d'entraînement.
C1 verb /ˈkwɪkən/

quicken

accélérer
Meaning
to make or become faster; to accelerate
Example
His pulse began to quicken as he approached the finish line.
Son pouls a commencé à s'accélérer à mesure qu'il s'approchait de la ligne d'arrivée.
C1 verb /kwentʃ/

quench

étancher
Meaning
to satisfy thirst by drinking; to extinguish fire
Example
He drank water to quench his thirst after the long run.
Il a bu de l'eau pour étancher sa soif après la longue course.
C2 adjective /kwaɪˈesnt/

Quiescent

inactif; calme; paisible;
Meaning
quiet; peaceful; inactive; dormant; at rest
Example
The volcano has been quiescent for over a century.
Le volcan est resté inactif pendant plus d'un siècle.
B2 adjective /ˈkwɑːn.tɪ.teɪ.tɪv/

Quantitative

quantitatif
Meaning
relating to quantity or amount; expressed in terms of numbers or measurements
Example
The study provides quantitative evidence of climate change effects.
L'étude fournit des preuves quantitatives des effets du changement climatique.
B2 adjective /ˈkwɑː.lɪ.teɪ.tɪv/

Qualitative

qualitatif
Meaning
relating to quality or character rather than quantity; descriptive rather than numerical
Example
The research focuses on qualitative analysis rather than numbers.
La recherche se concentre sur l'analyse qualitative plutôt que sur les chiffres.
B2 noun ˈkwəʊ.tə

quota

quota
Meaning
A limited or fixed number or amount of people or things, in particular.
Example
The quota reform was a key demand.
La réforme de la quota était une demande clé.
B1 noun /ˌkwɒl.ɪ.fɪˈkeɪ.ʃən/

Qualification

qualification; compétence
Meaning
official record showing that someone has finished a training course or has necessary skills; condition or requirement
Example
She has the right qualifications for this engineering job.
Elle a les qualifications nécessaires pour ce travail d'ingénieur.
A2 noun /kwiːn/

queen

reine
Meaning
a female ruler of a country or the wife of a king
Example
The queen addressed her people with grace.
La reine s'adressa à son peuple avec grâce.
C1 noun /kwɔːrˈtɛt/

quartet

quatuor
Meaning
A group of four people playing music or singing together.
Example
The string quartet performed beautifully at the concert.
Le quatuor à cordes a magnifiquement joué au concert.
B1 verb /ˈkwɒlɪfaɪ/

qualify

se qualifier
Meaning
to successfully complete a course or pass an exam; to become eligible
Example
She worked hard to qualify for the competition.
Elle a travaillé dur pour se qualifier pour la compétition.
A1 adjective /kwɪk/

Quick

rapide
Meaning
fast; rapid; swift; happening in a short time
Example
She gave a quick answer to the teacher's question.
Elle a donné une réponse rapide à la question de l'enseignant.
B1 verb /kwoʊt/

quote

citer
Meaning
to repeat someone else's words; to give a price or estimate
Example
The teacher asked students to quote the famous author in their essays.
Le professeur a demandé aux étudiants de citer l'auteur célèbre dans leurs essais.
C1 noun/verb /ˈkwɒr.i/

quarry

carrière / proie
Meaning
A place where stone or minerals are extracted; also means prey when hunted.
Example
The workers quarried limestone from the hill.
Les ouvriers ont extrait du calcaire de la colline.
C1 noun /ˈkwɪk.sænd/

Quick-sand

sable mouvant
Meaning
loose wet sand that yields easily to pressure and sucks in anything on its surface
Example
The explorer got trapped in quicksand while crossing the desert.
L'explorateur s'est retrouvé piégé dans le sable mouvant en traversant le désert.
C1 noun /ˈkwæɡˌmaɪər/

quagmire

marécage, impasse
Meaning
a soft, wet area of land that gives way underfoot; a complex or dangerous situation
Example
The hikers were trapped in a political quagmire.
Les randonneurs ont été piégés dans un marécage politique.
C2 adjective /ˈkwɛrʊləs/

querulous

plaignant
Meaning
Complaining in a whining or irritable manner.
Example
The querulous customer kept finding fault with every detail.
Le client plaintif continuait à trouver des défauts dans chaque détail.
C1 verb /kwɑːʃ/

quash

annuler
Meaning
To reject or void something legally or to put an end to something forcefully.
Example
The court quashed the decision due to lack of evidence.
Le tribunal a annulé la décision en raison du manque de preuves.
C1 noun /kwɑːm/

qualm

doute
Meaning
a feeling of doubt, worry, or fear about something
Example
She had no qualm about speaking her mind.
Elle n'a eu aucun doute en exprimant ce qu'elle pensait.
C1 adjective /kweɪnt/

quaint

pittoresque et ancien
Meaning
attractively unusual or old-fashioned
Example
They stayed in a quaint little cottage by the sea.
Ils ont séjourné dans un petit cottage pittoresque près de la mer.
B2 adjective /ˈkwɔːrtərli/

Quarterly

trimestriel
Meaning
occurring every three months; relating to a quarter of a year
Example
The company publishes quarterly reports to shareholders.
L'entreprise publie des rapports trimestriels aux actionnaires.
C1 adjective /ˈkwiːzi/

queasy

nauséeux
Meaning
Feeling sick to one's stomach; nauseated.
Example
She felt queasy after the long boat ride.
Elle se sentait mal après la longue promenade en bateau.
B2 verb /kweɪk/

quake

trembler
Meaning
to shake or tremble, often due to fear or a natural event like an earthquake
Example
The ground began to quake during the earthquake.
Le sol a commencé à trembler pendant le tremblement de terre.
C1 adjective /kwɪər/

Queer

étrange; inhabituel; particulier
Meaning
strange; unusual; peculiar; odd
Example
The old house had a queer atmosphere that made visitors uncomfortable.
La vieille maison avait une atmosphère étrange qui rendait les visiteurs mal à l'aise.
A1 adverb /ˈkwɪk.li/

Quickly

rapidement; vite
Meaning
at a fast speed; with little delay; rapidly
Example
He quickly finished his homework.
Il a rapidement fini ses devoirs.
A2 adverb /ˈkwaɪ.ət.li/

Quietly

silencieusement; calmement
Meaning
without making much noise; silently; in a calm manner
Example
She spoke quietly so she wouldn't wake the baby.
Elle parla doucement pour ne pas réveiller le bébé.
C1 noun /kwɪnˈtɛsəns/

quintessence

la quintessence
Meaning
The purest or most perfect example of something.
Example
She is the quintessence of elegance.
Elle est la quintessence de l'élégance.
B1 adjective /ˈkwɑː.lɪ.faɪd/

Qualified

qualifié; certifié
Meaning
having the necessary skills, knowledge, or experience for a particular job or activity; certified
Example
She is a qualified doctor with years of experience.
Elle est une médecin qualifiée avec des années d'expérience.
B2 noun /ˌkwes.tʃəˈneər/

questionnaire

questionnaire
Meaning
a set of written questions used to collect information or opinions
Example
Participants filled out a detailed questionnaire about their habits.
Les participants ont rempli un questionnaire détaillé sur leurs habitudes.
C2 noun /ˌkiː ˈviːv/

qui vive

alerte
Meaning
A state of alertness or vigilance.
Example
The guards were on the qui vive during the night.
Les gardes étaient en alerte pendant la nuit.
C2 noun /kwiːn kreɪp ˈmɜːrtəl/

Queen crape myrtle

Myrte crêpe de la reine
Meaning
A flowering tree with colorful, crepe-like flowers, scientifically known as Lagerstroemia
Example
The Queen crape myrtle bloomed beautifully in the garden with its purple flowers.
Le myrte crêpe de la reine a fleuri magnifiquement dans le jardin avec ses fleurs violettes.
C2 noun /ˈkwaɪəˌtuːd/

quietude

quiétude
Meaning
A state of stillness and tranquility.
Example
She enjoys the quietude of the countryside.
Elle profite de la quiétude de la campagne.
C2 adjective /kwɪkˈsɑː.t̬ɪk/

quixotic

extrêmement idéaliste, irréaliste et impraticable
Meaning
Extremely idealistic, unrealistic, and impractical.
Example
His quixotic dreams often led to disappointment.
Ses rêves quixotiques menaient souvent à la déception.