Definitions
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun The sport of tilting at the quintain by a person standing in a boat, which was rowed rapidly past. If the tilter was not sufficiently alert, the return of the quintain threw him into the water.
Etymologies
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Examples
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Or, being a French-Flemish youth, I might have been drawn in a hand-cart by my compeers, to tilt for municipal rewards at the water-quintain; which, unless I sent my lance clean through the ring, emptied a full bucket over me; to fend off which the competitors wore grotesque old scarecrow hats.
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French-Flemish youth, I might have been drawn in a hand-cart by my compeers, to tilt for municipal rewards at the water-quintain; which, unless I sent my lance clean through the ring, emptied a full bucket over me; to fend off which, the competitors wore grotesque old scarecrow hats.
The Uncommercial Traveller Charles Dickens 1841
hernesheir commented on the word water-quintain
A sporting game like ski-joring, but on water, from a canoe.
January 9, 2013