Dictionary entry

Quiz

Webster's Dictionary 1913

Quiz (kwĭz), n. [It is said that Daly, the manager of a Dublin playhouse, laid a wager that a new word of no meaning should be the common talk and puzzle of the city in twenty-four hours. In consequence of this the letters q u i z were chalked by him on all the walls of Dublin, with an effect that won the wager. Perhaps, however, originally a variant of whiz, and formerly the name of a popular game.] 1. A riddle or obscure question; an enigma; a ridiculous hoax.

2. One who quizzes others; as, he is a great quiz.

3. An odd or absurd fellow. Smart. Thackeray.

4. An exercise, or a course of exercises, conducted as a coaching or as an examination.