First Known Use: 15th century
Dictionary
1quire
noun \ˈkwī(-ə)r\
Definition of QUIRE
: a collection of 24 or sometimes 25 sheets of paper of the same size and quality : one twentieth of a ream
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Origin of QUIRE
Middle English quair four sheets of paper folded once, collection of sheets, from Anglo-French quaier, from Vulgar Latin *quaternum set of four, from Latin quaterni four each, set of four — more at quaternion
Other Paper Terms
2quire
Definition of QUIRE
archaic variant of choir
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