¹quote

verb \ˈkwōt also ˈkōt\

: to repeat (something written or said by another person) exactly

: to write or say the exact words of (someone)

: to write or say a line or short section from (a piece of writing or a speech)

quot·edquot·ing

Full Definition of QUOTE

transitive verb

a : to speak or write (a passage) from another usually with credit acknowledgment

b : to repeat a passage from especially in substantiation or illustration

c : borrow 2a <quoting the motifs of past artists>

: to cite in illustration <quote a similar case>

a : to state (the current price or bid-offer spread) for a commodity, stock, or bond

b : to give exact information on

: to set off by quotation marks

intransitive verb

: to inform a hearer or reader that matter following is quoted

— quot·er noun

See quote defined for English-language learners

See quote defined for kids

Origin of QUOTE

Medieval Latin quotare to mark the number of, number references, from Latin quotus of what number or quantity, from quot how many, (as) many as; akin to Latin qui who — more at who

First Known Use: 1582

Related to QUOTE

Synonyms: adduce, cite, instance, mention

Rhymes with QUOTE

bloat, boat, coat, cote, dote, float, gloat, goat, groat, haute, moat, mote, note, oat, rote, shoat, stoat, throat, tote, vote

²quote

noun

Definition of QUOTE

: quotation

: quotation mark —often used orally to indicate the beginning of a direct quotation

See quote defined for English-language learners

First Known Use of QUOTE

1888

Related to QUOTE

Synonyms: citation, quotation

QUOTE Defined for Kids

¹quote

verb \ˈkwōt\

quot·edquot·ing

Definition of QUOTE for Kids

: to repeat (someone else's words) exactly <I quoted my favorite poem.>

Word History of QUOTE

Sometimes passages in books are numbered. The English word quote came from a medieval Latin word quotare that meant “to refer to a passage by number.” English quote means “to repeat the words of a passage exactly.” The idea of number has been lost.