[1] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

quality \qual"ity\, n.; pl. qualities. f. qualit'e, l.
   qualitas, fr. qualis how constituted, as; akin to e. which.
   see which.
   1. the condition of being of such and such a sort as
      distinguished from others; nature or character relatively
      considered, as of goods; character; sort; rank.
      1913 webster

            we lived most joyful, obtaining acquaintance with
            many of the city not of the meanest quality. --bacon
      1913 webster

   2. special or temporary character; profession; occupation;
      assumed or asserted rank, part, or position.
      1913 webster

            i made that inquiry in quality of an antiquary.
                                                  --gray.
      1913 webster

   3. that which makes, or helps to make, anything such as it
      is; anything belonging to a subject, or predicable of it;
      distinguishing property, characteristic, or attribute;
      peculiar power, capacity, or virtue; distinctive trait;
      as, the tones of a flute differ from those of a violin in
      quality; the great quality of a statesman.
      1913 webster

   note: qualities, in metaphysics, are primary or secondary.
         primary are those essential to the existence, and even
         the conception, of the thing, as of matter or spirit
         secondary are those not essential to such a conception.
         1913 webster

   4. an acquired trait; accomplishment; acquisition.
      1913 webster

            he had those qualities of horsemanship, dancing, and
            fencing which accompany a good breeding.
                                                  --clarendon.
      1913 webster

   5. superior birth or station; high rank; elevated character.
      "persons of quality." --bacon.
      1913 webster

   quality binding, a kind of worsted tape used in scotland
      for binding carpets, and the like.

   the quality, those of high rank or station, as
      distinguished from the masses, or common people; the
      nobility; the gentry.
      1913 webster

            i shall appear at the masquerade dressed up in my
            feathers, that the quality may see how pretty they
            will look in their traveling habits.  --addison.
      1913 webster

   syn: property; attribute; nature; peculiarity; character;
        sort; rank; disposition; temper.
        1913 webster
see also:
qualities which quality binding the quality the masses 

[2] : WordNet (r) 2.0

quality
     adj 1: of superior grade; "choice wines"; "prime beef"; "prize
            carnations"; "quality paper"; "select peaches" syn: choice,
             primea, prize, select
     2: of high social status; "people of quality"; "a quality
        family"
     n 1: an essential and distinguishing attribute of something or
          someone; "the quality of mercy is not
          strained"--shakespeare
     2: a degree or grade of excellence or worth; "the quality of
        students has risen"; "an executive of low caliber" syn: caliber,
         calibre
     3: a characteristic property that defines the apparent
        individual nature of something; "each town has a quality
        all its own"; "the radical character of our demands" syn:
         character, lineament
     4: music the distinctive property of a complex sound a voice
        or noise or musical sound; "the timbre of her soprano was
        rich and lovely"; "the muffled tones of the broken bell
        summoned them to meet" syn: timbre, timber, tone
     5: high social status; "a man of quality"
see also:
choice primea prize select caliber calibre 
character lineament timbre timber tone 

[3] : Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0

222 moby thesaurus words for "quality":
   al, grade a, acquired taste, advantageousness, affection,
   affirmation, agreeableness, air, ancestry,
   appreciation of excellence, arete, aristocracy, aristocraticalness,
   aroma, atmosphere, attribute, aura, auspiciousness, badge,
   beneficialness, benevolence, benignity, birth, blood, blue blood,
   blue-ribbon, body-build, brand, cachet, caliber, capacity, cast,
   character, characteristic, characteristics, choiceness,
   civilized taste, civilizedness, class, climate, cogency,
   complexion, composition, condition, configuration, constituents,
   constitution, crasis, cultivated taste, cultivation, culture, cut,
   daintiness, delicacy, desert, dharma, diathesis, differentia,
   differential, dignity, discrimination, disposition, distinction,
   distinctive feature, earmark, elegance, element, elite, eminence,
   ethos, excellence, excellency, expedience, factor, fairness,
   fastidiousness, favorableness, feature, feel, feeling, fiber,
   figure, fine, fineness, finesse, first-class, first-rate,
   first-rateness, flavor, flower, footing, frame, genius,
   genteelness, gentility, gentry, good taste, goodliness, goodness,
   grace, gracefulness, gracility, graciosity, graciousness, grade,
   grain, grandeur, gust, habit, hallmark, healthiness, helpfulness,
   honorable descent, hue, humor, humors, idiocrasy, idiosyncrasy,
   ilk, importance, impress, impression, index, individualism,
   individuality, keynote, kind, kindness, lineaments, makeup,
   mannerism, mark, marking, merit, milieu, mold, nature, niceness,
   nicety, nobility, noble birth, nobleness, note, odor, overtone,
   parameter, part, particularity, patriciate, peculiarity,
   perfection, physique, place, pleasantness, polish, position,
   predication, prime, profitableness, prominence, property, quirk,
   rank, refinement, relation, rewardingness, role, royalty, savor,
   seal, sense, shape, singularity, situation, skillfulness, smack,
   society, somatotype, sophistication, sort, soundness, specialty,
   spirit, stamp, standing, state, station, stature, status, streak,
   stripe, subtlety, suchness, superbness, superior, superiority,
   supremacy, system, taint, tang, taste, tastefulness, temper,
   temperament, tendency, tenor, token, tone, trait, trick, type,
   undertone, upper class, usefulness, validity, value, vein, virtue,
   virtuousness, way, wholeness, worth

[4] : The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (27 SEP 03)

quality
     
        the totality of features and characteristics of a product or
        service that bear on its ability to satisfy stated or implied
        needs.  not to be mistaken for "degree of excellence" or
        "fitness for use" which meet only part of the definition.
     
        iso8402.
     
        1995-11-10
     
     
see also:
iso8402 

[5] : Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856)

quality, persons. the state or condition of a person.
     2. two contrary qualities cannot be in the same person at the same 
time. dig. 41, 10, 4. 
     3. every one is presumed to know the quality of the person with whom he 
is contracting. 
     4. in the united states, the people happily are all upon an equality in 
their civil and political rights. 

[6] : Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856)

quality, pleading. that which distinguishes one thing from another of the 
same kind. 
     2. it is in general necessary, when the declaration alleges an injury 
to the goods and chattels, or any contract relating to them, that the 
quality should be stated and it is also essential, in an action for the 
recovery of real estate, that its quality should be shown; as, whether it 
consists of houses, lands, or other hereditaments, whether the lands are 
meadow, pasture or arable, c. the same rule requires that, in an action for 
an injury to real property, the quality should be shown. steph. pl. 214, 
215. vide, as to the various qualities, ayl. pand. 60. 

[7] : U.S. Gazetteer (1990)

quality, ky
  zip codes: 42268

Quality >> Q Words
Quality, definition of term: Quality
quality_pag1.html

Quality Control >> Q Words
Quality Control, definition of term: Quality Control
quality+control_pag1.html

High Quality >> H Words
High Quality, definition of term: High Quality
high+quality_pag1.html

Quality Of Life >> Q Words
Quality Of Life, definition of term: Quality Of Life
quality+of+life_pag1.html