quire means one-twentieth of a ream of paper; a collection of twenty-four or twenty-five sheets of paper of the same size and quality, unfolded or having a single fold. Lexicurio rates it Rare gem — a strength score of 84 out of 100.
quire is pronounced /ˈkwaɪ.ə(ɹ)/.
noun
- One-twentieth of a ream of paper; a collection of twenty-four or twenty-five sheets of paper of the same size and quality, unfolded or having a single fold.“Under the year 1533 we are told that the ream contained twenty quires.”
- A set of leaves which are stitched together, originally a set of four pieces of paper (eight leaves, sixteen pages). This is most often a single signature (i.e. group of four), but may be several nested signatures.
- A book, poem, or pamphlet.
verb
- To prepare quires by stitching together leaves of paper.“Now, in the first folio volume of 1616, the paging, signatures, and quiring are continuous and regular throughout.”
- Poetic spelling of choir (“to sing in concert”).“Sit, Jessica. Look how the floor of heaven / Is thick inlaid with patines of bright gold: / There's not the smallest orb which thou behold'st / But in his motion like an angel sings, / Still quiring to the young-eyed cherubins; / Such harmony is in immortal souls; / But whilst this muddy vesture of decay / Doth grossly close it in, we cannot hear it.”