# quest

Pronunciation: say "KWEST" /kwɛst/

## Noun

1. A long or ambitious journey or effort undertaken in pursuit of a goal or mission.
   - Simple: A long and difficult journey or effort to reach an important goal.
   - _The knight embarked on a quest to recover the stolen relic._
   - _Her lifelong quest to cure the disease earned international recognition._
2. A task a player can complete in a video game to gain a reward or advance the story.
   - Simple: In a video game, a task a player does to earn a reward or move the story forward.
   - _The side quest rewarded players with rare crafting materials._
   - _Players who finish every quest unlock a secret ending._
3. The act of seeking something; an attempt to find or obtain something through searching or pursuit.
   - Simple: The act of looking for or trying to find something.
   - _The scientist's quest for a vaccine consumed a decade of research._
   - _His quest for recognition shaped every decision he made._
6. A short test given to students in a classroom setting.
   - Simple: A short test given to students in class.
   - _Students took a short quest at the start of the lecture._
   - _Each quest counts for a small portion of the final grade._

## Verb

4. To seek or pursue a goal, often by undertaking a mission or extended endeavor.
   - Simple: To go after a goal or take on an important job.
   - _Pilgrims quest toward distant shrines, enduring hardship along the way._
   - _He quested tirelessly, never settling for an easy life._
5. To search for or seek out something specific.
   - Simple: To look for or try to find something.
   - _The detective quested clues that others had overlooked._
   - _Generations of sailors quest the fabled passage through the ice._
7. Of a tick or other parasite, to locate and attach to a host animal.
   - Simple: Of a tick or similar bug, to find and grab onto an animal to feed.
   - _Larval ticks quest from the tips of grasses, latching onto passing mammals._
   - _The flea quested toward the warmth of a nearby host._

## Noun

8. A request, desire, or earnest solicitation made to another. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: A request, or a strong wish for something.
   - _The courtier pressed his quest upon the duke at every audience._
   - _She sent a humble quest to the bishop, begging his aid._
9. A group of people assembled to conduct a search or inquiry. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: A group of people who carry out a search or inquiry.
   - _The mayor summoned a quest to investigate the merchant's complaints._
   - _A quest of armed men rode out to find the bandits._
10. An inquest; a jury empaneled to inquire into a death or other matter. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: A jury that investigates a death or a crime.
   - _The quest returned a verdict of misadventure after hearing the witnesses._
   - _A coroner's quest examined the body before the burial._

## Origin

**Meanings 1–5, 7–10** — From Middle English 'quest', partly from Anglo-Norman and Old French 'queste' (acquisition, search, hunt), and partly from their source, Latin 'quaesta' (tribute, tax, inquiry, search), from 'quaerere' (to ask, seek).
**Meaning 6** — A blend of 'quiz' and 'test', created to avoid using the word 'test'.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/quest (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).