Forms: 4 quy-, qwyuere, 4–7 quiuer, (6 quy-), 5–6 qwyver, (5 -uer, -were), 5– quiver, (5 quy-); 5 whywer, 5–6 -ver. β. Sc. 6 quavyr, quauir, 6–7 quaver. [a. AF. quiveir, OF. quivre, quevre (cu-), coivre, etc., app. a. the Teutonic word represented in Eng. by COCKER sb.1]
1. A case for holding arrows (sometimes also the bow).
α. a. 1300. E. E. Psalter x. 2. Þair bowe þai bent, Þair arwes in a quiuer sente.
a. 1340. Hampole, Psalter x. 2. Þai redied þaire aruys in qwyuere.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 2375. My bow þat was bigge, & my bright qwyuer.
1483. Cath. Angl., 417/1. A Whywer for bowes, architesis.
1555. Eden, Decades, 56. When they had emptied theyr quyuers.
1624. Capt. Smith, Virginia, II. 25. His arrowes … he wore in a Woolues skinne at his backe for his Quiver.
1740. Somerville, Hobbinol, III. 170. Fair Virgin Huntress, for the Chace array’d With painted Quiver, and unerring Bow.
1813. Scott, Trierm., III. xx. A quiver on their shoulders lay.
1854. Cdl. Wiseman, Fabiola, II. xxiv. 284. A gaily-painted quiver, full of arrows.
β. 1513. Douglas, Æneis, VIII. iii. 165. Ane courtly quavyr … Wyth arrowis mayd in Lycia.
a. 1584. Montgomerie, Cherrie & Slae, 114. His quaver … Hang in ane siluer lace.
b. transf. and fig.
1382. Wyclif, Ecclus. xxvi. 15. Aȝen alle arewe [she] shal opene quyuere.
1535. Coverdale, Ps. cxxvi[i]. 5. Happie is the man, yt hath his quyuer full of them.
1641. Milton, Ch. Govt., I. vi. When the quiver of your arguments … is quite empty, your course is to betake ye to your other quiver of slander.
a. 1711. Ken, Edmund, Poet. Wks. 1721, II. 289. The taper’d Dart, Design’d to make its Quiver in my Heart.
1839. Bailey, Festus, ii. (1852), 14. Bow of my life, thou yet art full of spring! My quiver still hath many purposes.
1864. Trollope, Small Ho. at Allington, ix. Boyce being a man who had his quiver full of them [children].
c. The contents of a quiver; a quiverful.
1599. Shaks., Much Ado, I. i. 274. Nay, if Cupid haue not spent all his Quiuer in Venice, thou wilt quake for this shortly.
1623. Webster, Duchess Malfi, V. ii. Your bright eyes carry a quiver of darts in them sharper than sunbeams.
2. attrib. and Comb., as quiver-bearing adj.; † quiver-case = sense 1; quiver-tree, the South African Aloe dichotoma (Treas. Bot., 1866).
c. 1560. A. Scott, Poems (S.T.S.), iv. 47. Sic treitment is a trane To cleive thair quaver caice.
1798. Landor, Gebir, VII. 45. Woody Nebrissa’s quiver-bearing crew.
