# Quincy

/ˈkwɪnsi/ (US)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/quincy
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. a person's name

noun · CEFR B2

a first name for a man or a woman, or a last name.

For teachers: a given name or surname of Old French origin, notably associated with the Adams family in American history.

- Quincy was a popular name in the 19th century and is still used today.
- The historian noted that Quincy was a prominent surname among the early political elite of Massachusetts.

### 2. a place name

noun · CEFR B2

the name of several cities and towns, especially in the United States.

For teachers: a toponym referring to various locations, most notably a city in Massachusetts and a commune in the Cher department of France.

- They took the train from Boston to Quincy to visit the historic sites.
- The city of Quincy, Massachusetts, is famously known as the 'City of Presidents' because it was the birthplace of two U.S. leaders.

### 3. white wine

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

a type of dry white wine from the Loire Valley in France.

For teachers: a dry white wine produced from Sauvignon blanc grapes in the Quincy AOC region of the Loire Valley.

- The waiter suggested a chilled glass of Quincy to go with the seafood.
- The sommelier recommended a Quincy for its crisp acidity and flinty notes, which paired perfectly with the local goat cheese.

### 4. a toilet

noun · CEFR C2 · American English · Archaic · Humorous · Slang

an old, funny way to refer to a toilet.

For teachers: an obsolete, personified euphemism for a toilet or latrine.

- The old sailor joked about having to visit the Quincy before the ship departed.
- In the dusty pages of the 19th-century diary, the author made a humorous reference to 'visiting the Quincy' after a long night of drinking.

Usage: Usually used with 'the' as if it were a person's name.

Teaching tip: This sense is extremely rare and found only in historical or very specific dialect contexts; modern speakers will not understand it.

## Examples

- Stop being such a quincy and let the doctor work.
- After watching three seasons of a forensic drama, he became a total quincy, questioning every detail of the police report.
- The internet is full of self-appointed quincys who believe that a weekend of binge-watching true crime documentaries qualifies them to critique a professional autopsy report.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.