n. [ It is said that Daly, the manager of a Dublin playhouse, laid a wager that a new word of no meaning should be the common talk and puzzle of the city in twenty-four hours. In consequence of this the letters q u i z were chalked by him on all the walls of Dublin, with an effect that won the wager. Perhaps, however, originally a variant of whiz, and formerly the name of a popular game. ] 1. A riddle or obscure question; an enigma; a ridiculous hoax. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. One who quizzes others; as, he is a great quiz. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. An odd or absurd fellow. Smart. Thackeray. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. An exercise, or a course of exercises, conducted as a coaching or as an examination. [ Cant, U.S. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Quizzed p. pr. & vb. n. Quizzing ] 1. To puzzle; to banter; to chaff or mock with pretended seriousness of discourse; to make sport of, as by obscure questions. [ 1913 Webster ]

He quizzed unmercifully all the men in the room. Thackeray. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To peer at; to eye suspiciously or mockingly. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To instruct in or by a quiz. See Quiz, n., 4. [ U.S. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Quizzing glass, a small eyeglass. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To conduct a quiz. See Quiz, n., 4. [ U.S. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who quizzes; a quiz. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Relating to quizzing; given to quizzing; of the nature of a quiz; farcical; sportive. [ 1913 Webster ]

-- Quiz"zic*al*ly, adv. [1913 Webster]

n. The act or habit of quizzing. [ 1913 Webster ]