Obs. exc. dial. Forms: 5–6 quayle, 7 quaile. [a. OF. quailler (F. cailler = It. quagliare, Pg. coalhar, Sp. cuajar):—L. coāgulāre to COAGULATE.]
1. intr. To curdle, coagulate.
c. 1430. Two Cookery-bks., 27. Caste on whyte Wyne or Venegre, & make it quayle.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 418/2. Quaylyn, as mylke, and other lycowre, coagulo.
1530. Palsgr., 676/2. I quayle, as mylke dothe, je quaillebotte.
1601. Holland, Pliny, II. 323. It is no better than poison, especially the first beestings, if it quaile and cruddle in the stomacke.
1706. in Phillips (ed. Kersey).
1881. Leicest. Gloss., Quail, to ‘turn’ or curdle; go flat or sour.
b. To be quailed, to be curdled.
1530. Palsgr., 676/2. This mylke is quayled.
1809. Batchelor, Orthoep. Anal., 140. The cream is said to be quailed, when the butter begins to appear in the process of churning.
2. trans. To cause to curdle. rare–1.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., IV. iv. (1495), 83. The more boystous … partyes of the grayne the erih takyth … and quaylyth theym by heete.
Hence Quailed ppl. a., curdled. Obs.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 418/1. Quaylyd, as mylke, and oper lyke, coagulatus.
1541. R. Copland, Guydon’s Quest. Chirurg., etc. Þe lyuer … is the substaunce of flesshe, and red as quaylled blode.
1601. Holland, Pliny, II. 134. Such as haue … drunk quailed milke, that is cluttered within their stomack.
