WORD OF THE DAY

To quail at something is to dread it. If you quail at the prospect of seeing a horror movie, you might lobby to watch something funny instead — or spend the whole night with your hands over your eyes.

As a verb, the word quail has had many meanings over the years, including "crave something morbidly" and "grow very ill." Using quail at to mean "lose courage" or "shrink from difficulty" dates from the 16th century, and may stem from a root meaning "to curdle." Some people quail at confrontation, avoiding it at all costs, while others quail at flying, preferring to take the train.