QUICK  , a word which, by origin, and in

early and many surviving uses, meant " living," " alive." It is common to Teutonic languages, cf . Ger. keck, lively, Du. kwik, and Dan. kvik; cf. also Dan. kvaeg, cattle . The original root is seen in Skt. jiva; Lat. vivus, living, alive; Gr . (.3los, life . In its original sense the chief uses are such as " the quick and the dead," of the Apostles' Creed, a " quickset " hedge, i.e. consisting of slips of living privet, thorn, &c., the " quick," i.e. the tender parts of the flesh under hard skin or particularly under the nail . The phrase " quick with child " is a conversion of with a quick, i.e. living child . From the sense of having full vigour, living or lively qualities or movements, the word got its chief current meaning of possessing rapidity or speed of movement, mental or physical . It is thus used in the names of things which are in a constant or easily aroused condition of movement, e.g . " quicksand," loose water-logged sand, readily yielding to weight or pressure, and " quicksilver," the common name of the metal mercury (q.v.) .