What does "quisling" mean?
A traitor who collaborates with the enemy.
Quisling
/ˈkwɪz.lɪŋ/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A traitor who collaborates with the enemy.
- Grammar: quisling is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: collaborator, apostate, archtraitor, backslider.
- Useful contrasts: loyalist, patriot, stalwart.
- Usage evidence: In many countries, including some where the Jews were neither numerically strong nor in possession of important posts, these envoys of the German Secret Service have been able, solely by the use of anti-Jewish slogans, to create those "national" Fascist movements from which Quislings are bred.
How to use "quisling"
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Meaning check
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Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "quisling" in a final draft.
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Before you rely on this definition
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Compare nearby meanings
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Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "quisling" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
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3. Confirm with context
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Definitions
Noun
- 1 A traitor who collaborates with the enemy. derogatory
"In many countries, including some where the Jews were neither numerically strong nor in possession of important posts, these envoys of the German Secret Service have been able, solely by the use of anti-Jewish slogans, to create those "national" Fascist movements from which Quislings are bred."
- 2 Alternative letter-case form of quisling. alt-of
- 3 someone who collaborates with an enemy occupying force wordnet
Verb
- 1 present participle and gerund of quisle form-of, gerund, participle, present
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"In many countries, including some where the Jews were neither numerically strong nor in possession of important posts, these envoys of the German Secret Service have been able, solely by the use of anti-Jewish slogans, to create those "national" Fascist movements from which Quislings are bred."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "quisling"?
Common synonyms include: collaborator, apostate, archtraitor, backslider, benedict arnold, betrayer.
How do you use "quisling" in a sentence?
In many countries, including some where the Jews were neither numerically strong nor in possession of important posts, these envoys of the German Secret Service have been able, solely by the use of anti-Jewish slogans, to create those "national" Fascist movements from which Quislings are bred.
How do you pronounce "quisling"?
Pronounced /ˈkwɪz.lɪŋ/.
Etymology
Named after Norwegian military officer Vidkun Quisling (1887–1945), who ruled the Nazi collaborationist government of Norway during World War Two. From Quislinus, Latinization of Quislin, based on the Danish place name Kvislemark. This term first appeared in 1940. The surname is seemingly supposed to mean "one who is from Kvislemark", and is equivalent to Kvisle(mark) + -ing (suffix designating a person of a certain origin or with certain qualities). However, the earlier form of the name, Quislinus/Quislin, appears to have been a fanciful coinage based upon Kvisle(mark) + Latin -inus (“suffix indicating a relationship of position, possession, or origin”), and only later on came to be reinterpreted as containing Norwegian -ing (“suffix designating a person of a certain origin or with certain qualities”). Kvislemark is composed of Danish kvissel (“cleft branch”) + mark (compare Danmark). kvissel itself is a derivative of Old Norse kvísl (“fork [as in a 'fork in the road']”), which ultimately comes (by dissimilation) from Proto-Germanic *twīsilō. Cognates include Old English twisla (“confluence, junction, fork of a river or road”) and Old High German zwisila (“forked implement, twig, branch”). Ultimately related to English twistle, twissel, and twizzle. By surface analysis, quisle + -ing.