DictionaryAI

quote

SayKWOHT/kwoʊt/UK/kwəʊt/

Verbquotes, quoting, quoted

Noun pluralquotes

8 meanings of quote

Practice

  1. 1
    repeat someoneverbtransitive
    To repeat exactly what another person said or wrote.

    Like reading someone's words out loud, just the way they said them.

    Reporters often quote the mayor in their stories.

    She quoted her favorite poet during the speech.

    UsageSay quote from a book, or quote a person.

    Similarcite, repeat, recite, reproduce

  2. 2
    someone's wordsnouncountable
    Words that someone said or wrote, repeated and credited to them.

    Like a sentence someone said, copied out with their name next to it.

    She wrote a famous quote on the board for the class.

    The book is full of funny quotes from old comedians.

    UsageSay a quote from a person or a book.

    Similarquotation, citation, excerpt, extract, saying

  3. 3
    nouncountable
    A price someone tells you, such as what a job will cost or what a share is selling for now.

    Like a menu price, but for a whole job someone will do for you.

    We got a quote for fixing the car.

    Always compare quotes before hiring a builder.

    UsageAsk for a quote for the work before it starts.

    Similarquotation, price, bid, tender

  4. 4
    verbtransitive
    To say how much something will cost, like a job, or what a share or product is selling for now.

    Like writing up a price tag for a job before you start it.

    The plumber quoted a fair price for the repair.

    Can you quote the cost to paint my house?

    UsageSay they quoted me a price: they quoted us $300.

  5. 5
    punctuation marknouncountable
    A mark used to show where speech or repeated words begin or end.

    Put a quote before and after the spoken words.

    He forgot to close the quotes in his sentence.

    UsageSay in quotes: put the title in quotes.

Less common meanings

  1. 6
    spoken markerinterjection
    Said out loud to show that the next words are exactly what someone else said.

    He said, quote, 'I will never give up on this.'

    The mayor told us, quote, the project is finished.

    UsagePeople say quote before the words and unquote after.

    Oppositeunquote

  2. 7
    after 'and I'verbintransitive
    To say a word that shows you are about to repeat someone's exact words.

    The coach said, and I quote, "We will win this game."

    My boss told me, and I quote, "Take the rest of the day off."

    UsageSay and I quote right before someone's exact words.

  3. 8
    verbarchaic
    To notice something and keep it in mind.
    But must our moderne Critticks envious eye Seeme thus to quote some grosse deformity?
    1598, John Marston, “Satyre IV”Here, quote means notice or take note of something.
    Note

Practice

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Origin

This word came through Old French from Latin words meaning "how many" and "what number." It first meant marking a book with numbers, then giving a reference, then copying exact words.

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 4 facts