a. Forms: 5–6 coisy, coysy; 5 qweysye, 5–6 queysy, (6 -se, -sie), 6 quaisie, -sy, 6–7 queisie; 5–6 quasy, (6 -ie, -ye); 5 qwesye, 6 quesie, -y(e, 6–7 queasie, (6 -ye), queazie, -y, 7– queasy. [Of obscure history.
The early forms coisy and queisy prob. indicate a F. origin, and connection with OF. coisier to hurt, wound (Godef.), seems possible, if the original sense was ‘wounded,’ ‘bruised’ and hence ‘tender,’ ‘uneasy,’ but of this there is no clear evidence. A similar development of sense is implied in the usual etym. from ON. kveisa boil (see CWEISE), whence perh. Icel. kveistinn tender, touchy, but there is little evidence for this as an Eng. word, and the form coisy would remain unexplained. The change from queisy or quaisy to queasy is parallel to quail: queal and quair: quear, QUIRE.]
† 1. Of the times or state of affairs: Unsettled, troublous, ticklish. Obs. (Cf. also 5 b.)
1459. Paston Lett., I. 497. Be my feyth, here is a coysy werd.
1471. Sir J. Paston, ibid. III. 4. The worlde I ensur yow is ryght qwesye.
c. 1563. Jack Juggler, l. 66. The time is so quesie That he that speaketh best, is lest thanke worthie.
1586. J. Hooker, Hist. Irel., in Holinshed, II. 136/2. So manie of hir maiesties priuie councell, as could in that quesie time be assembled.
1611. Speed, Hist. Gt. Brit., IX. xx. § 47. 965. The times being queasie, the King wisely forbare to take any seuere reuenge.
† b. Of a matter: Uncertain, hazardous. Obs.
1589. Cooper, Admon., 203. I must … protest it is a queisie & dangerous matter.
1605. Shaks., Lear, II. i. 19. I haue one thing of a queazie question Which I must act.
2. Of articles of diet: Unsettling the stomach or health; causing sickness or nausea. Now rare.
1496. Fysshynge w. Angle (1883), 24. The barbyll … is a quasy meete & a peryllous for mannys body.
15[?]. Piers of Fullham, 19, in Hazl., E. P. P., II. 3. Kodlynges, konger, or suche queyse [v.r. coisy] fysche.
1544. Phaër, Pestilence (1553), N viij b. In this disease ye maye eate no queasie meates, as eles, gese, duckes.
1579. Lyly, Euphues (Arb.), 44. To the stomacke sated with dainties, all delicates seeme queasie.
1653. Manton, Exp. James i. 21. Like a hot morsel or queasy bit, it was soon given up again.
1661. Lovell, Hist. Anim. & Min., 225. Their flesh is queasy, corruptible, and aguish.
1876. G. Meredith, Beauch. Career, I. xiv. 210. The … queasy brew … which she calls by the innocent name of tea.
† b. Of seasons: Unhealthy; in which sickness is prevalent. Also of days of ill-health. Obs.
1510–20. Compl. them that ben to late maryed (Collier, 1862), 16. I haue passed full many quasy dayes.
1603. Knolles, Hist. Turks (1621), 732. Infection taken in the campe in strange aire, and a most queasie time of the yeare.
† c. Of land: Unfavorable to growth. Obs. rare.
1599. [see QUEACHY 2].
1649. Blithe, Eng. Improv. Impr., xiv. 80. It was great Lands … full of your soft Rushes … and lay very wet … it was so Weake and Barren, so cold and queasy. [Cf. ibid. xxiv. 149 The coldest and most quealiest (? misprint) parts of thy Lands.]
3. Of the stomach: Easily upset; unable to digest strong food; inclined to sickness or nausea. (In 16–17th c. freq. fig. and in fig. context.) Hence of the body, heart, health, etc.
1545. Raynold, Byrth Mankynde, fol. 142. She shall better digest and lyke her meate; her stomacke nothyng so quesy ne feable.
1574. Newton, Health Mag., I i b. It is better for … stronge stomackes then for quasie and weake bodies.
1604. Dekker, Honest Wh., Wks. 1873, II. 46. Ile gird close, As if my health were queazy.
a. 1652. J. Smith, Sel. Disc., ix. 468. A divine philosophy; which … as men grew worse, their queasy stomachs began to loathe it.
a. 1684. Leighton, Wks. (1830), I. 42. A full table, but a sickly body and queasy stomach.
1839. ‘J. Fume’ (W. A. Chatto), Paper on Tobacco, 70. Not digested without grumbling by certain queasy stomachs.
1889. C. Keene, Lett., in Life, xiii. (1892), 409. My stomach is in such a queasy state, that a gram in excess puts me all wrong.
† b. transf. Of the mind, feelings, etc.: Delicate, fastidious, nice. Obs.
1545. Ascham, Toxoph., I. (Arb.), 40. These Instrumentes make a mannes wit … so tender and quaisie that they be lesse able to brooke strong and tough studie.
c. 1590. Greene, Fr. Bacon, x. 130. Eyes are dissemblers, and fancy is but queasy.
1642. Rogers, Naaman, 565. Beware then of a sullen, queazy, coy and proud heart.
1659. R. Eedes, Wisdom’s Justif., 40. The queasie soul that receives not the Word.
c. Of conscience, etc.: Tender, scrupulous.
1579. G. Harvey, Letter-bk. (Camden), 76. The thinges themselves … ar not so offensive to quesy consciences.
1646. Sir T. Browne, Pseud. Ep., 374. The ambition of Boniface made no scruple thereof; nor of more queasie resolutions have been their Successors ever since.
1781. Cowper, Charity, 447. When queasy conscience has its qualms.
1886. Symonds, Renaiss. It., Cath. React. (1898), I. iv. 223. Ignatius recommended fishers of souls to humour queasy consciences.
4. Of pains, etc.: Of the nature of sickness; uneasy, uncomfortable.
1589. Pappe w. Hatchet (1844), 13. O what queasie girds were they towards the fall of the leafe.
1650. Bulwer, Anthropomet., 158. To return by Art their queasie paine upon women, to the great reproach of Nature.
1878. Stevenson, Inland Voy., 114. I had a queasy sense that I wore my last dry clothes upon my body.
5. Of persons: Having a queasy stomach; liable to turn sick; subject to, or affected with, nausea. Also fig.
1606. Shaks., Ant. & Cl., III. vi. 20. [The Romans] queazie with his insolence already, Will their good thoughts call from him.
1622. Fletcher, Span. Cur., III. ii. Your queazie young wiues That perish undelivered, I am vext with.
1682. N. O., Boileau’s Lutrin, I. Argt. Thus Queasie Madams meat forbear Untill they read, The Bill of Fare.
1816. T. L. Peacock, Headlong Hall, vii. The Reverend Doctor Gaster found himself rather queasy in the morning.
1855. Browning, Grammar. Funeral, 64. Even to the crumbs I’d fain eat up the feast, Ay, nor feel queasy.
b. transf. (with earlier quots. cf. sense 1).
1579. G. Harvey, Letter-bk. (Camden), 73. Over-stale for so queynte and queasye a worlde.
1602. Marston, Ant. & Mel., II. Wks. 1856, I. 22. O that the stomack of this queasie age Digestes, or brookes such raw unseasoned gobs.
1641. S. Marshall, Fast Serm. bef. Ho. Comm., Ep. Ded. 3. A time so queasie and distempered as can hardly beare that Food or Physicke which is needfull.
1869. Browning, Ring & Bk., X. 113. The queasy river could not hold Its swallowed Jonas, but discharged the meal.
6. Comb. queasy-stomached a. (see sense 3).
1579–80. North, Plutarch (1676), 757. He [Antonius] being queasie stomacked with his Surfeit.
1608. Armin, Nest Ninn. (1842), 6. The World, queasie stomackt as one fed with the earth’s nectar, and delicates.
1635. Quarles, Embl., III. xiv. (1718), 181. Look, sister, how the queazy-stomach’d graves Vomit their dead.
