Main Entry: quaint

Pronunciation: \ˈkwānt\

Function: adjective

Etymology: Middle English queinte, cointe, from Anglo-French, clever, expert, from Latin cognitus, past participle of cognoscere to know — more at cognition

Date: 13th century

1 obsolete : expert, skilled
2 a : marked by skillful design <quaint with many a device in India ink — Herman Melville> b : marked by beauty or elegance
3 a : unusual or different in character or appearance : odd <figures of fun, quaint people — Herman Wouk> b : pleasingly or strikingly old-fashioned or unfamiliar

synonyms see strange

— quaint·ly adverb

— quaint·ness noun