quintain
9.9
A wooden post that riders hit with lances on horseback
- noun
- /ˈkwɪnˌteɪn/
- Archaic
:
quintain
- During their training, the knights practiced striking the quintain with their lances.
Examples
-
In the jousting arena, the knights took turns attempting to hit the quintain as part of their lessons.
-
To improve his skills, he aimed at the quintain set up in the courtyard.
-
- You see the red spot on that quintain?
-
He needed more work on the quintain.
Surface Forms
Etymology
Quintain comes from the Latin quintana, meaning 'fifth', because targets and practice posts were once placed on the fifth street of Roman camps and the name stayed with the post. So a quintain is a post or target used for lance practice, and the quint- root is the same as in quintet ('group of five') to help you remember the 'fifth' link.
