Quaker

[f. QUAKE v.¹ + -ER¹.] One who, or that which, quakes.

  1.  pl. = QUAKING-GRASS. Midl. dial.

1597.  Gerarde, Herbal, I. lvii. 81. Phalaris pratensis is called in Cheshire about Namptwich, Quakers and Shakers.

1611.  Cotgr., Amourettes, the grasse tearmed, Quakers, and Shakers, or quaking grasse.

1617.  Minsheu, Ductor, Quackers, or quaking grasse.

1882.  W. Worc. Gloss.

1890.  Glouc. Gloss.

  2.  With capital Q: A member of the religious society (the Society of Friends) founded by George Fox in 1648–50, distinguished by peaceful principles and plainness of dress and manners.

  Acc. to Fox (Jrnl., I. 38) the name was first given to himself and his followers by Justice Bennet at Derby in 1650, ‘because I bid them, Tremble at the Word of the Lord.’ It appears, however, from a letter of intelligence, written at London on Oct. 14, 1647, that the name had previously been applied to the members of some foreign religious sect: ‘I heare of a Sect of woemen (they are at Southworke) come from beyond Sea, called Quakers, and these swell, shiver, and shake, and when they come to themselves (for in all this fitt Mahomett’s holy-ghost hath bin conversing with them) they begin to preache what hath bin delivered to them by the Spiritt’ (Clarendon MSS., No. 2624). It thus seems probable that Bennet merely employed a term already familiar, and quite appropriate as descriptive of Fox’s earlier adherents (cf. quots. 1654, 1694, and see QUAKING vbl. sb. and ppl. a. 2). The name has never been adopted by the Friends themselves, but is not now regarded as a term of reproach.

1653.  H. R. (title), A Brief Relation of the Irreligion of the Northern Quakers.

1654.  E. Terrill, in R. Barclay’s Inner Life (1876), 317. Thus, they coming as foretold, they were not known, but afterwards they were called by the name of ‘Quakers,’ from people’s shaking and quaking that received them and their doctrine.

1656.  Evelyn, Mem. (1857), I. 332. I had the curiosity to visit some Quakers here in prison: a new fanatic sect, of dangerous principles, who shew no respect to any man, magistrate, or other.

1679.  Trial of Langhorn, 53. He is no Quaker, for he hath got a Perriwig on.

1694.  De la Pryme, Diary (Surtees), 53. The Quakers … do not now quake, and howl, and foam with their mouths, as they did formerly.

1731.  Gentl. Mag., I. 60/1. The practice of the people called Quakers, who maintain none of their poor in idleness, that are able to work.

1771.  Smollett, Humph. Cl., 26 June. By his garb, one would have taken him for a quaker, but he had none of the stiffness of that sect.

1837.  W. Irving, Capt. Bonneville, I. 183. In one respect, their religion partakes of the pacific doctrines of the Quakers.

1876.  Bancroft, Hist. U.S., I. x. 363. The early Quakers in New England displayed little of the mild philosophy … of Penn.

  b.  transf. Applied to various plain-colored birds and moths, with allusion to the color of the dress usually worn by Quakers.

  (a)  A small bird of the Falkland Islands. (b) The sooty albatross. (c) The nankeen-bird, or Australian night-heron. (d) One of several noctuid moths, esp. Agrotis castanea.

1775.  Clayton, Falkland Islands, in Phil. Trans., LXVI. 105. Of small birds there are several sorts; the red breast,… the white throat; the quaker, from its plumage being of the colour those people wear.

1894.  Newton, Dict. Birds, Quaker, a sailor’s name for the Dusky Albatross, Phœbetria fuliginosa.

  c.  ellipt. for quaker-gun, -hat.

c. 1754.  Garrick, Epil. to Fielding’s Fathers. The high-cocked, half-cocked quaker, and the slouch, Have at ye all!

1829.  J. Shipp, Mem., ix. (1890), 139. The man of authority in size not much larger than a quaker.

1840.  R. H. Dana, Bef. Mast, xxvii. 88. A Russian government bark,… mounting eight guns (four of which we found to be quakers).

  3.  attrib. and Comb. (from sense 2). a. simple attrib.: Of or pertaining to the Society of Friends or its members; as quaker (or Quaker) bonnet, doctrine, dress, meditation, pride, etc. b. similative, as quaker-like adj. and adv., -looking adj. c. special combs.: quaker-bird, the sooty albatross; quaker-buttons (U.S.), the seeds of nux vomica; quaker-colo(u)r, a drab or grey color; so quaker-colo(u)red adj.; quaker-grass, quaking-grass (Halliwell); quaker gun (U.S.), a dummy gun in a ship or fort; quaker-ladies (U.S.), the small pale-blue flowers of the American plant Houstonia cærulea; quaker-linen (see quot. 1788); quaker-meeting (also Quakers’), a religious meeting of the Society of Friends; transf. a silent meeting (alluding to the Friends’ custom of remaining silent until moved by the spirit); quaker moth (see 2 b); quaker string, a form of string for a stair.

1859.  Geo. Eliot, A. Bede, iii. Dinah had taken off her little *quaker bonnet again.

1818.  Blackw. Mag., III. 406/2. They dress the infant out in solemn suits Of customary snuff or *quaker-colour.

c. 1770.  T. Erskine, Barber, in Poet. Reg. (1810), 331. Simplicity … Waves in the eye of Heav’n her *Quaker-colour’d wings.

1856.  R. A. Vaughan, Mystics (1860), II. XI. ii. 222. The *Quaker doctrine concerning, stillness and quiet.

1812.  Crabbe, Tales, ix. Wks. (1834), V. 13. Young Zelinda, in her *quaker-dress.

1809.  W. Irving, Knickerb., iii. (1820), 240. A formidable battery of *quaker guns.

1680.  R. Ware, Foxes & Firebrands, II. (1682), 103. He … *Quaker-like, thou’d and thee’d Oliver.

1818.  Scott, Hrt. Midl., xxvii. Her love of and veneration for truth was almost quaker-like.

1838.  Lytton, Alice, I. i. A stiff cap of quaker-like simplicity.

1788.  Wesley, Wks. (1872), VII. 24. Let there be no *Quaker-linen,—proverbially so called, for their exquisite fineness.

1792.  Wolcott (P. Pindar), Ode to Irony, Wks. 1812, III. 39. Who laughest not, thou *Quaker-looking wight.

1835.  Willis, Pencillings, II. xxiv. 283. After sitting a while in *quaker meditation.

1751.  J. Brown, Shaftesb. Charac., 32. The finest speaker … would in vain point the thunder of his eloquence on a *quaker-meeting.

1821.  [see QUAKERESS].

1861.  Hughes, Tom Brown at Oxf., xxvi. Isn’t it very ridiculous … that we four should be standing here in a sort of Quakers’ meeting.

1819.  G. Samouelle, Entomol. Compend., 363. The dwarf *Quaker [moth].

176[?].  Wilkes, Corr. (1805), III. 77. That *quaker pride, which is the most disgusting thing in the world.

1825.  J. Nicholson, Operat. Mechanic, 598. Sometimes the risers are mitred to the brackets, and sometimes mitred with *quaker strings.

  Hence Quakerdom, Quakers as a class, Quakerism. Quakerian, Quakeric, † Quakeristical adjs., Quakerly, Quakerish. Quakerization, the action of Quakerizing. Quakerize v., to convert into a Quaker; to affect with qualities characteristic of a Quaker. Quakership, the condition of being a Quaker. † Quakery, Quakerism.

1839.  Caroline Fox, Jrnls. (1882), 42. He spoke very civilly of modern *Quakerdom.

1855.  Tait’s Mag., XXII. 445. Ellwood was a convert to Quakerdom.

1827.  Hare, Guesses (1867), 132. The Jacobinical metonomatosis of the months … might be lookt upon as a parody of the *Quakerian.

1847.  Macaulay, in Trevelyan, Life, II. 215. Translate the following passage into the *Quakeric dialect.

1685.  Answ. Dk. Buckhm. on Lib. Consc., 12. I should suspect the Pensilvanian had Tutor’d him with this *Quakeristical Divinity.

1864.  Sala, in Daily Tel., 5 Dec., 5/3. No amount of *quakerisation could render the car uncomfortable.

1825.  Miss Mitford, in L’Estrange, Life (1870), II. 198. She is all over *Quakerized, as you of course know.

1826.  B. Barton, Select., etc. (1849), 6. ’Twould be cook-ship versus *Quaker-ship.

1673.  H. Hallywell, Acc. Familism, iv. 75. *Quakery, though it pretend high, is mere Sadducism at the Bottom.

1688.  Bunyan, Heavenly Footman (1886), 156. Thou may’st stumble and fall,… both in ranting and quakery.