Quintain
//ˈkwɪntɪn// noun
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 An object (generally a post or plank on a support) set up as a target to be tilted at in jousting, or otherwise used as target practice. historical
"My better parts Are all thrown down; and that which here stands up Is but a quintain, a mere lifeless block."
Example
More examples"My better parts Are all thrown down; and that which here stands up Is but a quintain, a mere lifeless block."
Etymology
From Anglo-Norman quintaine, quinteine, Middle French quintaine, probably from Latin quīntāna (“street separating fifth and sixth maniples in a Roman camp”), feminine form of quīntānus (“pertaining to the fifth”).
Related phrases
More for "quintain"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.