Synonyms:
flinch, squinch, funk, cringe, shrink, wince, recoil, quail
Meaning: draw back, as with fear or pain; "she flinched when they showed the slaughtering of the calf"
Usage examples
I did not quail.
I'm not--and when I think of that horrible paper tomorrow I quail.
There should be five-year close seasons enacted for quail, grouse, plover, woodcock, snipe, and all other shore birds.
The moral is: Will the People apply this lesson to the ruffed grouse, quail and the shore birds generally before they, too, are too far gone to be brought back?
They should be as follows: No squirrels, doves or shore birds; six quail, five woodcock, ten coots, ten rail, ten ducks, three geese and three brant, with a total limit of ten waterfowl per day.
All things considered, the game laws of New Mexico are surprisingly up to date, and the state is to be congratulated on its advanced position. For example, there are long close seasons on antelope, elk (now extinct!), mountain sheep, bob white quail, pinnated grouse, wild pigeon and ptarmigan,--an admirable list, truly.
One day, when Reuben was snaring birds in the wood,--for the Indians had no fear of such young children venturing to escape,--he heard the cry of a quail, and followed it deeper and deeper into the forest, till it ceased, and, with a sudden rustle, Onawandah rose up from the brakes, his finger on his lips to prevent any exclamation that might betray him to other ears and eyes.