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First published 1986 (DOST Vol. VI).
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Quhel(e, Quheil(e, n. Also: qwhel(e, quhell, quhwell; quel, qwel; quheele; quheill, qwheill, quheyle, quheyll; queill; quhile, quhill, quhyll; whel(e; whell; wheel, wheell(e; wheil(e, wheill, wheeille; wheale; whil; well, weill; vhele. [North. ME and north. e.m.E. quele (Cursor M.), qwel- (1376), qwhele (1404), qwele (a1450); ME and e.m.E. whel (Orm), wheel (Wyclif), whiel (Gower), qweel (15th c.); wheylle (Cath. Angl.), wheyl (15th c.); whelle (15th c.); wil- (c1340), quile (a1400), whyll (1467), while, whil- (16th c.); OE hwéol, (hweow(o)l, hweogol).]

1. A wheel; freq., one of a set of wheels on a vehicle or the like.For further examples see Assiltré n., Axtré n., Busch(e n.³, v.³, Cart n.¹, Cresche n., Cresch(e v., Doul(e n., Extré n., Fely n., Filly n.², Hup(e n., Hupe v., Limmour n., Nave n.¹, Navill n.², etc.Also proverb., or allusively.(1) 1375 Barb. xvii 609.
Ane cren thai haf gert dres vp hey Rynand on quhelis [E. quheillis] a1500 Lanc. 735.
With mony o strong chariot and cher With yrne qwhelis 1496 Treas. Acc. I 320.
Payment of the quhelis making for the artailȝerj 1497 Ib. 328.
With irne grath to Melros to scho the quhelis thare 1513 Doug. ii iv 64.
Turnand quhelis thai set in … Vndir the feit of this ilke bysnyng jaip 1538–9 Treas. Acc. VII 212.
Quhilk quhelis ran upoun extreis of irne 1548 Ib. IX 198, etc. 1580 Reg. Privy C. III 320.
The quhelis garnesit with schone and twa virollis only(b) 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. 422.
Quheillis c1500-c1512 Dunb. Flyt. 228. 1532 Treas. Acc. VI 157.
Quheile 1545 Ib. VIII 380.
Bandis of irne to the quheillis of the saiddis moyanis 1566-70 Buch. Comm. on Virgil Æn. v 274.
Aerea rota, a schod quheill 1574–5 Haddington Treas. Acc. 30.
Danskyne yrin to the quheillis to be buschis and gyrthis dulbandis 1578 Inv. Wardrobe 250.
Ane cannon … montit upoun … Frensche quheillis weill garnist with yron werk Ib. 251. 1581 Mar & Kellie MSS 34.
Quheylls 1629 M. Works Acc. (ed.) II 225 (see Borell n.). 1643–4 Dumfries Treas. Acc. MS 12.
To Jon Willsone for … making a wheill 1680 Fawside Coal Compt 59.
For bussing of a wheill(c) 1517 Wigtown B. Ct. 75a.
The vrangus haldin fra him of ane quhile ane quhile barow [etc.] 1558 Treas. Acc. X 435.
Quhilis(d) 1539 Treas. Acc. VII 214.
Gun stokkis and quhellis a1578 Pitsc. II 99/11. 1641-8 Skipper's Acc. (Smettone) 19b.(2) 1496 Treas. Acc. I 302.
To ij cartaris to fech a pare of quhelis 1513 Ib. IV 513.
For the schoyng of xx pair of greit quhelis, ilk pair x s. 1538–9 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I 248.
Twa pair small Frensch quhelis 1542 Treas. Acc. VIII 129.
xxx pair small quhelis for slangis 1574–5 Haddington Treas. Acc. 26.
Ane payre quhelis to the towne to cary myllstanis on 1633 Edinb. Test. LVI 187.
Ane waine with ane pair of quheillis 1660 Banff Ann. I 142.
Weillis(3) c1460 Alex. (Taym.) (ed.) 579.
Ane chare of foure quheilisproverb. a1500 Prestis of Peblis 410.
Bot ouer waine and quheil in wil he get 1513 Doug. xiii Prol. 118.
Neuer … Mair than langis to the cart the fift quheill c1515 Asl. MS I 327/16, 17.
Ezechias … saw a quhele with iiij facis in myddis of ane nother quhele 1569-73 Bann. Memor. 15.
They can do no moir than the wheillis can do without the extrie a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 1849.
Ye mister it als meikle as the cart dois the thrid quheill

b. Freq. as the second element of a compound in which the first element specifies the vehicle concerned.For further instances see bombart-, cart- (kart-), falcoun-, gun-, etc. 1566 Inv. Wardrobe 169.
Batterd quheillis 1598 Treas. Acc. MS 86b.
Twa pair of batterit quheillis — 1496 Treas. Acc. I 326.
The bombart quhelis making — 1513 Treas. Acc. IV 522.
Canon quhelis 1539 Ib. VII 216, etc. 1578 Inv. Wardrobe 259.
Ane greit naill tuyll for cannoun quheillis — 1501 Prestwick B. Rec. 37.
And of restoracioun of a pair of car quhelys — 1506 Treas. Acc. III 88.
For ane pair of grathit cart quhelis 1513 Doug. v v 57. 1529 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I 10.
Ane wyndband to ane cart quheill 1618 Ib. II 127. — 1578 Inv. Wardrobe 257.
Ane pair of auld cosche quheillis — 1526 Treas. Acc. V 266.
Falcoun quhelis — 1511 Ib. IV 259.
To the qweile wricht of Melros at makis the gune quelis 1585 Elphinstone Mun. 22. — 1538–9 Treas. Acc. VII 211.
Munitioun quhelis 1539 Ib. 228. — 1591 St. A. B. Ct. 3 Aug.
Ane pair of sufficient vaine quheillis

c. Attrib. and comb.In quhele-gaid, -graith, etc.Also Quhele-band n., Quhele-barrow n., Quhele-makar n., Quhele-wricht n. 1512 Treas. Acc. IV 377.
Hewand hem stokkis and quheill graith 1513 Ib. 509.
For the wyrking of vj wallis irne in quhele werk 1537–8 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I 233.
Quheill rymmis 1564 Perth B. Ct. 126 (28 July).
xvj pair of quhele gaidis and four pair of quhele gadis 1566 Prot. Bk. Thomas Johnsoun 101.
45 quheile spokkis 1570 Inverness Rec. I 195.
That na quheill sleddis pass … vpon the brig

2. A wheel, as part of a mechanism. a. A wheel of a water-mill.For further examples see Miln-quheill n. a.Also comb. in -hous.(1) 14.. Quon. Attach. c. 34.
Gif a man fell in the mil dame & sagat is borne doune to the mil quhel 1578 Inverness Rec. I 261.
Myln quheile — 1502 Acta Conc. MS XII 111.
Wranguis … distruccione of his myln … the trowis & quhelis thairof 1532 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I 101.
For thre grete peis of squair tymmer for ane quheill to the said myln 1558–9 Edinb. Old Acc. I 294.
The expenses of the Lytill Myl in rasying hir saw tree and hir quheles and mending hir foirschot 1589 Glasgow B. Rec. I 136.
With sufficient happar, hup, quheillis, mylnrynd [etc.] 1639 M. Works Acc. (ed.) II 411 (see Aw n.²⁾.
Queillis 1645 Tulliallan Coal Wks. 146b.
For hardis for calfing of the quhill(2) 1591 Edinb. Test. XXIII 339.
Aucht inner quheillis of start & aw 1623 Prot. Bk. J. Scott MS.
The vtter quheill and inner quheill of Balcaithlie milne 1624 Peebles B. Rec. I 365.
The inner quheill of new aik, the vtter quheill new of asch 1692 Musselburgh 38.
The counsell appoynts ane outter wheale to be bought … for the sea milne(3) attrib. 1503 Reg. Cupar A. I 259.
In our myl brewhous and quheilhous of our forsaid abbay

b. One of the wheels in the mechanism of a clock.For further examples, and for instances of quhele as the second element of a compound with Horologe n., Mid adj. 1 (1), Nombre n. attrib., Pais n.² 3 b and wanrest, see these words, also Nett n., and the ‘detailed account of the structure of the public clocks of Aberdeen’ in Melville Commonpl. Bk. 29–32. 1542 Rec. Univ. Aberd. 577.
Five quhelis and ane gret band off the ald knok 1582 Edinb. D. Guild Acc. 125.
Ane foir loik to ane quhill of the knoik c1590 Fowler I 263/2.
Wheils 1598 Whitelaw Sc. Arms Makers 37.
For mending the quheills and extre of the towbuithe knok 1621-40 Melville Commonpl. Bk. 29.
The peas quheill hath of tooth … 68 Ib. (see Mid adj. 1 (1)). Ib. 30 (see Nombre n. attrib.). Ib. 30.
The midle quheill 1651–2 Peebles B. Rec. II 193.
The knok wheile

c. In various other mechanisms or processes.See also Kaipe-quheill n.Pin-quheill, a wheel forming part of the mechanism of a lock: cf. Pin n.¹ 1 d, also 18th c. Eng. pin the cylindrical part in a lock on which the pipe of the key fits (1703). 1473–4 Treas. Acc. I 65.
Mylne quhelis for the diching of the kingis harnes 1566 Prot. Bk. Thomas Johnsoun 102.
The welhous, … ane irne chenye with the wyndas and the quheile, with yett and lok 1578 Inv. Wardrobe 257.
Ane auld boiring quheill garnist with yron werk 1583 Edinb. D. Guild Acc. 184.
Ane quheill of bras … to heis & cary all work & tymmer to the stepill 1593 Ib. 500.
For mending the lok of the new kirk dur and making the quheillis of it new 1595 Ib. 571.
For mending of tua doubill plait lokis making to euerie ane of thame tua doubill quheillis with ane pin quheill to euerie ane of thame c1598 Skipper's Acc. (Morton) 15a.
For blokis to our treses … for moldes … for quhellis 1624 Edinb. B. Rec. VI 259.
Ane bobbing wheill with tempels and rods 1634 Edinb. Test. LVI 302.
The quheill perteaning to the pewderer craft 1637 Glasgow Trades House 188.
For ane quheill to the bell 1638 Edinb. Test. LVIII 331b.
[In] the pewderer irone work lomes following … ane balk, ane quheill, ane prent, heukis [etc.] 1653 Lamont Diary 52.
This chaine was lett doune and taken vp by a great timber wheeille meade for that purposse 1688 Bk. Old Edinb. C. XXVII 150.
I thought … of makeing a wheel that turns about with the wind

3. Applied, metonymically, to various kinds of wheel-operated spinning machines or winders of yarn; a spinning-wheel. Also comb.See also Quhele spun. 1502 Dunferm. B. Rec. I 123.
Ane quheill and j par of kardis 1529 Wigtown B. Ct. fol. 225b.
Schallans fore … dyning hyre seruandis & takyne ovt of the stok of a quheyll & a cavdrone 1533 Aberd. B. Rec. I 451.
Ane wheill, ane par of woll camis 1534 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 144.
Ane quheill and cairdis, ane hakyll and paissill 1581 Brechin Test. I 49b.
Twentie aucht quhwellis 1615 Haddington Mem. II 292.
Ane wheill for worsett 1619 Edinb. B. Rec. VI 199.
And als ane twyning mill … and als thriescoir quheillis 1651 Nicoll Diary 61.
Sum pure pepill quha wer spyning that day loist thair quheillis 1653 Edinb. Test. LXVII 146.
Thrie mikle wheillis … tua litle wheilliscomb. 1588–9 Glasgow B. Rec. I 129.
Ane quheill spynnill 1599 Black Bk. Taymouth 335.
Quheill spynnillis

b. Also, freq., with defining term specifying more precisely the function, etc. of the ‘wheel’.For further instances, see these terms, also Card n.², Chak reill n., Haik n.² d, Kard(e n.¹, Lint n. 4 b (2), Pirn n. 1 e, silk, worset, etc.Laying wheill, cf. 17th c. Eng. linnen wheele (1638) and Lane n.² 1567 Kirkcaldy B. Rec. App. 314.
Ane spynnyng quheill 1595 Brechin Test. I 128b (see Pirneing quheill n.).
Pirneing quheill 1599 Black Bk. Taymouth 335.
Spynning quheillis 1612 Wedderb. Compt Bk. 190.
Byrl quheil 1643 Aberd. B. Rec. IV 4.
For breaking of ane paire of yearne wells 1647 Edinb. Test. LXIII 126b (see Laying wheill). 1667 Ib. LXXIII 107.
Ane old lint quheill ane wool quheill and ane chak wheill with ȝearne winders 1675 Bk. Old Edinb. C. VI 129.
Ane spining wheill, ane fyning wheill, ane old lint quheill 1685 Soc. Ant. LVIII 362.
2 oull wheills 1715 Crail Squaremen 29.
Lint whils, ul whils, chak riels and hemp whils

4. A large wheel, used in torture or punishment. a1400 Leg. S. xxxiii 545.
A quhele … in it hade S[ch]arpe swerdis scherand in al syde Ib. xlvii 84.
Thane wes scho … one a rond quhele set on ane, Foul of colis red brynnand c1450 Mill Mediæv. Plays 173.
The grayth of the prossession of Corpus Christi … Sanc Katerins quheil Sanc Androwis cros [etc.] a1500 Henr. Orph. 265 (Ch. & M.).
Sisteris thre … Turnand a quhele [Asl. quheile] … And on it spred a man hecht Ixione 1513 Doug. vi ix 185.
On quhelis spakis speldyt otheris hyngis 1531 Haddington B. Rec. (Robb) 27 July.
[The] assys … delyveris Male Mane and Marion Mane wit, and to be set on a cart quheill at the croce thre howrs … in lynning clayths 1531 Bell. Boece (M) II 207.
And therfor thai war all takin and hyngitt apon hye quhelis c1552 Lynd. Mon. 2287.
In euery kirk and queir … Sanct Katherine, with hir swerd and quheill 1611-57 Mure Early Misc. P. vii 6.
Ixion … Doth suffer tortour on the restles quheele 1630-1651 Gordon Geneal. Hist. 171.
Both they and hee … were brocken upon a wheill

5. Fortune's wheel, an emblem of mutability.Only in poetry.(1) 1375 Barb. xiii 651 (E).
For on his syd the quheyle on hycht Rais quhen the tother doun gan lycht Ib. 656. a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 1225.
Quhan on-fortone quhelmys the quheil … Quha may his danger endure? a1500 Henr. Fab. 2947 (Bann.).
Now on the quheill now wappit to the ground a1568 Bann. MS 26a/43.
And prowd men … He severit hes and … doun fra the quheill thame thraw 1603 Philotus 793.(2) ?1438 Alex. ii 6735.
Fortune dissauis ȝow … And turnis sa soudanly hir quheill c1475 Wall. vi 89.
Fy on fortoun, fy on thi frewall quheyll Ib. viii 23. c1500-c1512 Dunb. xxxv 14.
Preis thé nocht to stryfe aganis my quheill Quhilk every warldly thing dois turne and steir Ib. xxiv 12. 1535 Stewart 2599.
Fortoun turnit hir fikkill quheill Ib. 25217.
Doun of her quheill scho gaif him sic ane faw Ib. 58639. a1585 Maitl. Q. lxv 114.
Sall I spurne with fortounis quhirling quheill(3) 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. 172.
Inconstant warld and quheill contrarious

b. (He, heich, on hicht) on (up on) Fortune's quhele, in a state of prosperity. 1375 Barb. xiii 637.
This mychty kyng of Yngland Scho had set on her quheill on hicht 1456 Hay I 65/11.
Ector, Alexander, [etc.] … the quhilkis Fortune has set hye up on the quhele a1500 Henr. Orph. 486. Id. Test. Cress. 550.
Sa eleuait I was in wantones And clam vpon the fickill quheill sa hie 1535 Stewart 20307.
For quhen thai ar most heiche vpone the quheill Ib. 48077.
And in her [sc. Fortune's] fauour hieast on the quheill [: feill] Ib. 20314. a1578 Pitsc. I 32/18.
He is neirrest perrell and decay that seittis presentlie hichest vpone the quheill

6. transf., fig. and in comparisons.(1) c1420 Wynt. i 1573 (W).
The Zodiak, that we quheill call(2) ?1438 Alex. ii 5094.
He saw ane poune, That with his tale maid iolely The quheill 1494 Loutfut MS 26b.
The paon … dressis wp his taill to mak a quheill c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxxvi 3 (Bann.).
Quhat is this lyfe … Ane slyding quheill ws lent to win remeid 1513 Doug. xii Prol. 162.
The pantyt povn … Kest vp his taill, a provd plesand quheill [Ruddim. quhile] rym 1531 Bell. Boece I x.
Quhill yeris swift with quhelis properant Consume thy strenth a1538 Abell 1a.
This present work I haif callit the roit or quheill of tyme c1610 Melville Mem. 223.
Bot a wyse king skattereth the wicked and causeth the whell to wholme ouer them(3) c1500-c1512 Dunb. xxvi 19.
And round abowt him, as a quheill, Hang all in rumpillis to the heill His kethat c1540 Lynd. Syde Taillis 44.
Thare gownis … Circulat about als round as quheillis c1590 J. Stewart 33/124.
And hir ritche array Spred lyk ane quheile about hir cumlie corse(4) c1460 Thewis Wysmen 426.
Thai can nocht wone quhen thai ar veill, Bot tolterand, turnand as a quheill a1605 Montg. Misc. P. xlviii 185.
The bouand dolphin, tumbland lik a vhele