n. & v.
--n.
1. (in full quill-feather) a large feather in a wing or tail.
2 the hollow stem of this.
3 (in full quill pen) a pen made of a quill.
4 (usu. in pl.) the spines of a porcupine.
5 a musical pipe made of a hollow stem.
--v.tr. form into cylindrical quill-like folds; goffer.
Phrases and idioms:
quill-coverts the feathers covering the base of quill-feathers.
Derivatives:
quilling n.
Etymology: ME prob. f. (M)LG quiele