quest (kw st)n. 1. The act or an instance of seeking or pursuing something; a search. 2. An expedition undertaken in medieval romance by a knight in order to perform a prescribed feat: the quest for the Holy Grail. 3. Archaic A jury of inquest. v. quest·ed, quest·ing, quests v.intr. 1. To go on a quest. 2. To search for game. v.tr. To search for; seek. [Middle English queste, from Old French, ultimately from Latin quaesta, from feminine of *quaestus, obsolete past participle of quaerere, to seek.] quest  er n. |
quest [kwɛst]
Quest a body of persons appointed to hold an enquiry; a collection or donation; a jury, 1549.
Quest
go gathering orange blossoms To search for a wife. This expression is derived from the snow-white orange blossom, a popular wedding decoration that symbolizes the innocence of a young bride. The development of this phrase’s figurative sense is obvious. Its use by William E. Norris was cited by James M. Dixon in the latter’s Dictionary of Idiomatic English Phrases (1891):
“What has he come to this lovely retreat for? To gather orange blossoms?”
go in search of the golden fleece To pursue one’s destiny; to seek one’s fortune; to embark on an adventurous quest. This expression’s origin lies in the Greek myth of Jason and the Golden Fleece, in which Jason and a band of cohorts, called the Argonauts after their ship, set forth on a virtually hopeless quest to recover the golden fleece. Jason and his companions were victorious only after numerous perils. Figuratively, this expression is applied to a person who searches against great odds for great fortune.
pound the pavement To walk the streets seeking employment, to be out looking for a job, to go from door to door in search of work; also to pound or hit the sidewalks. The allusion is to feet walking back and forth “beating” the paved street. This American slang expression appeared in one of its variant forms in 0. Henry’s Options (1909):
I’m pounding the asphalt for another job.
set one’s cap for To try to gain the affections of someone to whom one is attracted; to set one’s romantic sights on; to flirt with; to make a play for. In the days when ladies always wore hats in public, a woman would don her most alluring bonnet in hopes of attracting that certain man of her dreams.
Instead of breaking my heart at his indifference, I’ll… set my cap to some newer fashion, and look out for some less difficult admirer. (Oliver Goldsmith, She Stoops to Conquer, 1773)
wild-goose chase See FUTILITY.
| Noun | 1. |  quest - a search for an alternative that meets cognitive criteria; "the pursuit of love"; "life is more than the pursuance of fame"; "a quest for wealth"wild-goose chase - the fruitless pursuit of something unattainable search - the examination of alternative hypotheses; "his search for a move that would avoid checkmate was unsuccessful" |
| 2. |  quest - the act of searching for something; "a quest for diamonds" | |
| Verb | 1. | quest - make a search (for); "Things that die with their eyes open and questing"; "The animal came questing through the forest" seek - try to get or reach; "seek a position"; "seek an education"; "seek happiness" |
| 2. | quest - search the trail of (game); "The dog went off and quested" dog, give chase, go after, chase, tail, chase after, trail, track, tag - go after with the intent to catch; "The policeman chased the mugger down the alley"; "the dog chased the rabbit" | |
| 3. | quest - bark with prolonged noises, of dogs bark - make barking sounds; "The dogs barked at the stranger" | |
| 4. | quest - seek alms, as for religious purposes | |
| 5. | quest - express the need or desire for; ask for; "She requested an extra bed in her room"; "She called for room service" communicate, pass along, put across, pass on, pass - transmit information ; "Please communicate this message to all employees"; "pass along the good news" order - make a request for something; "Order me some flowers"; "order a work stoppage" ask - make a request or demand for something to somebody; "She asked him for a loan" encore - request an encore, from a performer petition - write a petition for something to somebody; request formally and in writing demand - request urgently and forcefully; "The victim's family is demanding compensation"; "The boss demanded that he be fired immediately"; "She demanded to see the manager" appeal, invoke - request earnestly (something from somebody); ask for aid or protection; "appeal to somebody for help"; "Invoke God in times of trouble" supplicate - ask for humbly or earnestly, as in prayer; "supplicate God's blessing" apply - ask (for something); "He applied for a leave of absence"; "She applied for college"; "apply for a job" solicit, beg, tap - make a solicitation or entreaty for something; request urgently or persistently; "Henry IV solicited the Pope for a divorce"; "My neighbor keeps soliciting money for different charities" reserve - obtain or arrange (for oneself) in advance; "We managed to reserve a table at Maxim's" challenge - ask for identification; "The illegal immigrant was challenged by the border guard" demand - ask to be informed of; "I demand an explanation" claim - ask for legally or make a legal claim to, as of debts, for example; "They claimed on the maximum allowable amount" call for, invite - request the participation or presence of; "The organizers invite submissions of papers for the conference" desire - express a desire for beg - ask to obtain free; "beg money and food" arrogate, lay claim, claim - demand as being one's due or property; assert one's right or title to; "He claimed his suitcases at the airline counter"; "Mr. Smith claims special tax exemptions because he is a foreign resident" ask over, ask round, invite - invite someone to one's house; "Can I invite you for dinner on Sunday night?" call - call a meeting; invite or command to meet; "The Wannsee Conference was called to discuss the `Final Solution'"; "The new dean calls meetings every week" |
quest
quest for sth → recherche de qch, quête de qch
in quest of sth → en quête de qch
to be questing for sth → être en quête de qch, être à la recherche de qch
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