From Middle Englishquikenen(“to become alive again after dying; to raise (someone) from the dead; to regain consciousness or strength; to give vitality, revive; to regain validity; to nourish; to spare (the life of someone or something); to ignite; to illuminate; of events: to happen more quickly; of clouds: to form”)[and other forms],[1] from quiken(“to come to life; to become alive again after dying; to give or regain vitality, revive; of a seed: to germinate, grow; to arouse (anger); to inspire; to reinforce, strengthen; to make (a substance) alchemically active; to nourish, sustain; to sharpen; to ignite; to illuminate; of news: to spread”)[2] + -en(suffix forming the infinitive forms of verbs).[3]Quiken is derived from Old Englishcwician(“to bring to life, vivify; to come to life, become living; to quicken”), from cwic(“alive, live, living; mentally agile; intelligent, keen”) (ultimately from Proto-Germanic*kwikwaz(“alive; lively; quick”) and Proto-Indo-European*gʷeyh₃-(“to live”)) + -ian(suffix forming verbs from adjectives and nouns). The English word may be analysed as quick(“moving with swiftness; occurring in a short time; (archaic) alive, living; (archaic) pregnant”) +-en(suffix attached to some adjectives forming transitive verbs meaning ‘to make [adjective]’).[4]
[…] Italy had quickened Cecil, not to tolerance, but to irritation. He saw that the local society was narrow, but, instead of saying, "Does this very much matter?" he rebelled, and tried to substitute for it the society he called broad.
1667; first published1692, Robert South, “A Sermon Preached at the Consecration of a Chapel”, in Twelve Sermons Preached upon Several Occasions.[…], volume I, London:[…] J[ohn] H[eptinstall] for Thomas Bennet,[…], →OCLC, pages 289–290:
For ſurely, a rich Land, guardleſs and undefended, muſt needs have been a double Incitement, and ſuch an one, as might not only admit, but even invite the Enemy. It was like a fruitful Garden, or a fair Vineyard without an Hedge, that quickens the Appetite to enjoy ſo tempting, and withal ſo eaſy a Prize.
Strange! how the frequent interjected daſh, Quickens a market and helps off the traſh, Th' important letters that include the reſt, Serve as a key to thoſe that are ſuppreſs'd, Conjecture gripes the victims in his paw, The world is charm'd, and Scrib. eſcapes the law.
The author alludes to how the use of dashes to conceal the names of real persons in a satire (for example, “W⸻m C⸻r”) encourages the sale of the work, while allowing the satirist to avoid being sued for libel.
the Miſtris which I ſerue, quickens what's dead, And makes my labours, pleaſures:[…]
1686, John Bunyan, “[Divine Emblems; or, Temporal Things Spiritualized: Fitted for the Use of Boys and Girls]Meditations upon an Egg”, in Henry Stebbing, editor, The Entire Works of John Bunyan,[…], volume IV, London:James S[prent] Virtue,[…], published 1863, →OCLC, page 447, column 1:
The egg, when laid, by warmth is made a chicken, And Christ by grace the dead in sin does quicken.
Coole Violets, and Orpine growing ſtill, Embathed Balme, and chearfull Galingale, Freſh Coſtmarie, and breathfull Camomill, Poppie, and drink-quickning Setuale, […]
1627 (indicated as 1626), Francis [Bacon], “IV. Century.[Experiments in Consort Touching Maturation, and the Accelerating thereof. And First Touching the Maturation and Quickning of Drinks. And Next Touching the Maturation of Fruits..]”, in Sylua Syluarum: Or A Naturall Historie. In Ten Centuries.[…], London:[…]William Rawley[…]; [p]rinted by J[ohn] H[aviland] for William Lee[…], →OCLC, paragraph 314, page 82:
It were good alſo to Enforce the Spirits by ſome Mixtures, that may excite and quicken them.
Venus, for Hero was her prieſt, and Iuno Lucina the midwifes goddeſſe, for ſhe was now quickned, and caſt away by the cruelty of Æolus, tooke bread and ſalt and eate it, that they would bee ſmartlie reuenged on that truculent windy iailour, and they forgot it not, for Venus made his ſonne and his daughter to committe inceſt together.
To take on a state of activity or vigour comparable to life; to be excited or roused. [from 15th c.]
1870, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, “[Sonnets and Songs, towards a Work to be Called ‘The House of Life.’ Sonnets.]The House of Life. Sonnet I. Bridal Birth.”, in Poems, London:F[rederick] S[tartridge] Ellis,[…], →OCLC, stanza 1, page 189:
Born with her life, creature of poignant thirst And exquisite hunger, at her heart Love lay Quickening in darkness, till a voice that day Cried on him, and the bonds of birth were burst.
1910, Saki[pseudonym; Hector Hugh Munro], “The Lost Sanjak”, in Reginald in Russia and Other Sketches, London:Methuen & Co.[…], →OCLC, page 15:
The Chaplain's interest in the story visibly quickened.
The fair each moment riſes in her charms, Repairs her ſmiles, awakens ev'ry grace, And calls forth all the wonders of her face; Sees by degrees a purer bluſh ariſe, And keener lightnings quicken in her eyes.
She found no rest, and ever fail'd to draw The quiet night into her blood, but lay Contemplating her own unworthiness; And when the pale and bloodless east began To quicken to the sun, arose, […]
Meanwhile the light quickened, and gradually disclosed the form and outline of the adjacent domain.
Of an alcoholic beverage, dough, etc.: to ferment.
(alsofiguratively) Of a pregnant woman: to first feel the movements of the foetus, or reach the stage of pregnancy at which this takes place; of a foetus: to begin to move. [from 16th c.]
[…] about a month ago she [Lady Castlemaine]quickened at my Lord Gerard's at dinner, and cried out that she was undone; and all the lords and men were fain to quit the room, and women called to help her.
Almighty Vigour ſtrove though all the Void, And ſuch prolifick Influence employ'd, That ancient, barren Night did pregnant grow, And quicken'd with the World in Embrio.
Goddeſs of Shades, beneath whoſe gloomy Reign Yon ſpangled Arch glows with the ſtarry Train, Who doſt the Cares of Heav'n and Earth allay, Till Nature quicken'd by th'Inſpiring Ray, Wakes to new Vigor with the riſing Day.
Below were men and horses pierced with worms, And slowly quickening into lower forms; By shards and scurf of salt, and scum of dross, Old plash of rains, and refuse patch'd with moss.
1627 (indicated as 1626), Francis [Bacon], “X. Century.[Experiments in Consort, Touching the Secret Vertue of Sympathy, and Antipathy.]”, in Sylua Syluarum: Or A Naturall Historie. In Ten Centuries.[…], London:[…]William Rawley[…]; [p]rinted by J[ohn] H[aviland] for William Lee[…], →OCLC, paragraph 990, page 255:
For you may ſooner by Imagination, quicken or ſlacke a Motion, than raiſe or ceaſe it; As it is eaſier to make a Dog goe ſlower, than to make him ſtand ſtill that he may not runne.
Whoever has been much accuſtomed to viſit ſuch manufactures, muſt frequently have been ſhown very pretty machines, which were the inventions of common workmen in order to facilitate and quicken their own particular part of the work.
Breezes blowing from beds of iris quickened her breath with their perfume; she saw the tufted lilacs sway in the wind, and the streamers of mauve-tinted wistaria swinging, all a-glisten with golden bees; she saw a crimson cardinal winging through the foliage, and amorous tanagers flashing like scarlet flames athwart the pines.
That day Arya [Stark]quickened their pace, keeping the horses to a trot as long as she dared, and sometimes spurring to a gallop when she spied a flat stretch of field before them.
His lips traveled to her wrist and she knew he must fell the leap of her pulse as her heart quickened and she tried to draw back her hand. She had not bargained on this—this treacherous warm tide of feeling that made her want to run her hands through his hair, to feel his lips upon her mouth.
On straights speed would quicken to what was apparently the maximum allowed on this stretch, 140 k.p.h., or 87.5 m.p.h., and then one would see the track disappearing ahead round a sharpish curve, for there are some of 35 and 40 chains' radius on this side of the summit as well.
to apply quicksilver (mercury) to (something); to combine (something) with quicksilver — see quicksilver
Etymology 3
From Middle Englishquiken(“(chiefly in place names) probably the European rowan or mountain ash (Sorbus aucuparia), and possibly also the aspen (Populus tremula), juniper (genus Juniperus, specifically the common juniper (Juniperus communis)), or service tree (Sorbus domestica)”), possibly from Old Englishcwician(“to bring to life, vivify; to come to life, become living; to quicken”) (see etymology 1).[6][7]
[…] Miss Wannop moved off down the path: it was only suited for Indian file, and had on the left hand a ten-foot, untrimmed quicken hedge, the hawthorn blossoms just beginning to blacken at the edges and small green haws to show.
From Middle Englishquiken(“couch grass (Elymus repens); a leguminous plant, vetch”)[and other forms],[8] a variant of quich, quik(“couch grass (Elymus repens); a leguminous plant, vetch”)[and other forms] (whence modern Englishquick, quitch(“couch grass, quitchgrass”); the -en element remains unexplained),[9] from Old Englishcwiċe(“couch grass”), ultimately from Proto-Germanic*kwikwaz(“alive; lively; quick”); see further at etymology 1.[10]
Quickens-bog may at first seem to derive its name from the plant Quicken, by which, Scotticé, we understand couch-grass, dog-grass, or the Triticum repens of [Carl] Linnæus, and the common English monosyllable Bog, by which we mean, in popular language, a marsh or morass; in Latin, Palus.