Forms: 1 quice, cwice, etc., 6 quyche, 7–8 quich, 7 cuich, quoich, 6– quitch. See also QUICK sb.2, COUCH sb.2, and TWITCH. [OE. cwice = MLG. kweke (hence G. quecke), Du. kweek; usually supposed to be related to cwic, QUICK a., in reference to its vitality.]
1. A species of grass. = COUCH sb.2
a. 700. Epinal Gloss., 464. Gramen, quiquae [Erfurt quicae, Corpus quice].
c. 1000. Sax. Leechd., I. 182. ʓenym þysse wyrte leaf þe man gramen & oðrum naman cwice nemneð.
1523. Fitzherb., Husb., § 14. All these maner of otes weare the ground very sore, and maketh it to beare quyche.
1658. Sir T. Browne, Hydriot., 22. Some long roots of Quich, or Dogs-grass wreathed about the bones.
1727. Bradley, Fam. Dict., s.v. Corn land, A good following … will kill the Quitch Sorrel, moss and other trumpery.
1876. F. Vanderstraeten, Improv. Agric., p. xv. Destroying weeds, and particularly quitch or dog-grass.
1884. Britten & Holland, Plant-n., 394.
fig. 1859. Tennyson, Enid, 1751. The vicious quitch Of blood and custom.
b. Also quitch-grass in same sense.
1587. Mascall, Govt. Cattle, Oxen (1627), 73. [It] groweth in some Gardens like to a quitch grasse.
1601. Holland, Pliny, II. 206. The Quich-grasse … or Dogs-grasse, is the commonest herbe that groweth.
1712. J. James, trans. Le Blond’s Gardening, 66. You avoid Quich-grass, and other Weeds.
1840. Browning, Sordello, IV. 23. The thoroughfares were overrun with weed—Docks, quitchgrass.
† 2. Quitch-hay (see quot.). Obs. rare–1.
1523. Fitzherb., Husb., § 25. Quyche hey commeth of a grasse called crofote,… and it is the beste hey for horses and beastes, and the sweteste.
