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.]
© Webster 1913.
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.
© Webster 1913.
Quiz, v. i.
To conduct a quiz. See Quiz, n., 4.
[U.S.]
© Webster 1913.