Home › Glossary › Letter Q

Quail

Birds
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

Want to hear it? Click the Listen button to hear the browser speak the word using text-to-speech!

The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

A small, ground-dwelling game bird symbolizing timidity, abundance, or divine provision.

Detailed Definition
In biblical poetry, quail represented God’s provision in the wilderness; in classical verse, their sudden flights evoked panic or fleeting joy. Their secretive nature and seasonal abundance make them symbols of hidden sustenance and vulnerability. Modern poets use quail to reflect on scarcity, migration, or the delicate balance between safety and exposure in both natural and human realms.
Example
Example in poetry:
In biblical poetry, quail rain from heaven to feed the Israelites, symbolizing divine providence; Poets use the quail’s sudden flight to evoke panic, fragility, or fleeting abundance; In hunting verse, the quail represents rural tradition and seasonal rhythm; Modern ecopoetry links quail decline to habitat loss and agricultural change; Its soft call at dawn becomes a symbol of quiet sustenance and hidden presence.
Additional Notes
The quail—small, ground-dwelling, and migratory—symbolizes divine provision (biblical manna narrative), sudden flight, and seasonal abundance. Its secretive nature makes it a metaphor for hidden sustenance or vulnerability. Related concepts: “game bird,” “migratory signal,” “agrarian symbol.” Useful in poems about scarcity, providence, or the fragility of rural life.
Also Known As
Common Quail Coturnix coturnix Bobwhite (New World) Japanese Quail quails
Skip to main content