quizzical

English

Etymology tree

English quiz

Proto-Indo-European *-kos

Proto-Indo-European *-ikos

Proto-Italic *-ikos

Latin -icuslbor.

Old French -iquebor.

Middle English -ic

Proto-Indo-European *h₂el-

Proto-Indo-European *-is

Proto-Indo-European *h₂élisder.?

Proto-Italic *-ālis

Latin -ālisbor.

Old French -albor.

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Latin -ālis

Old French -elbor.

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Latin -ālisbor.

Middle English -al

Middle English -ical

English -ical

English quizzical

From quiz + -ical.

quizzical (comparative more quizzical, superlative most quizzical)

Questioning or suggesting puzzlement.
- 1953, Ian Fleming, “Number 007”, in Casino Royale, London: Pan Books, published 1955, page 23:
  Miss Moneypenny would have been desirable but for eyes which were cool and direct and quizzical.
- 2022 July 27, Sir Michael Holden, “In praise of Crossrail 1... and in search of Crossrail 2”, in RAIL, number 962, page 34:
  But I did see things that aren't yet quite right, and at which I raised a quizzical eyebrow.
Strange or eccentric.
- 1955, Vladimir Nabokov, chapter 10, in Lolita, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: G[eorge] P[almer] Putnam’s Sons, published August 1958, →OCLC:
  Her smile was but a quizzical jerk of one eyebrow; and uncoiling herself from the sofa as she talked, she kept making spasmodic dashes at three ashtrays and the near fender (where lay the brown core of an apple); whereupon she would sink back again, one leg folded under her.
Jocose; humorous.