Crossword Dictionary

What's The Definition Of Quiz?

\Quiz\, 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-fours. 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. [Cant, U.S.]
\Quiz\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Quizzed}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Quizzing}.] 1. To puzzle; to banter; to chaff or mock with pretended seriousness of discourse; to make sport of, as by obscure questions. He quizzed unmercifully all the men in the room. --Thackeray. 2. To peer at; to eye suspiciously or mockingly. 3. To instruct in or by a quiz. See {Quiz}, n., 4. [U.S.] {Quizzing glass}, a small eyeglass.
\Quiz\, v. i. To conduct a quiz. See {Quiz}, n., 4. [U.S.]