QUILL

One of the large feathers of a bird's wing, or one of the rectrices of the tail; also, the stock of such a feather.

A pen for writing made by sharpening and splitting the point or nib of the stock of a feather; as, history is the proper subject of his quill. Sir H. Wotton.

A spine of the hedgehog or porcupine.

The pen of a squid. See Pen.

The plectrum with which musicians strike the strings of certain instruments.

The tube of a musical instrument. He touched the tender stops of various quills. Milton.

Something having the form of a quill; as:

The fold or plain of a ruff.

To plaint in small cylindrical ridges, called quillings; as, to quill a ruffle. His cravat seemed quilled into a ruff. Goldsmith.

To wind on a quill, as thread or yarn. Judd.