What does quid mean?
A quid is something given or received in exchange for something else, most often encountered in the familiar legal and rhetorical expression “quid pro quo,” meaning something for something. The phrase can be neutral when it simply describes an exchange, but it often implies an expectation of reciprocal benefit or, more critically, that the consideration offered was improper or inadequate. In the expression “the quid of the matter,” the word instead means the essential point or underlying nature of a subject. This use is chiefly literary and formal. In British English, “quid” is also an informal term for one pound sterling. The word comes from Latin and is now most important as an element of established expressions rather than as a frequently quantified object. Understanding its slightly old-fashioned character helps distinguish a straightforward exchange from one involving hidden motives or uneven value.
Something given or received in exchange for something else; also, the essential nature or point of a subject.
"The board was asked to consider the quid of the dispute before deciding whether to settle it."
The exchange sense is especially common in “quid pro quo.” The meaning “what” or “essence” is chiefly literary.
One pound sterling.
"The ticket cost fifteen quids."
Informal and chiefly British.
The plural is uncommon because the word usually appears in singular fixed expressions; it is more likely when referring informally to sums of money.
"He spent nearly a hundred quids on the repairs."
The word quid literally asks a deceptively simple question: “What?”
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does quid come from?
The English word comes from the Latin neuter singular “quid,” meaning “what,” from the relative pronoun “qui.” It entered English in the 16th century through Latin-derived legal and rhetorical usage, notably in the expression “quid pro quo,” literally “something for something.” Its modern standalone meanings preserve both the Latin sense of “what” and the broader idea of an exchange or consideration.
How quid is actually used
The exchange sense is mainly literary, legal, or idiomatic, especially in “quid pro quo.” The sense meaning the essence of a matter is literary and formal. The pound-sterling sense is informal and chiefly British.
Easily confused with quid
“Quid” is a noun meaning an exchange, an essence, or in British usage one pound sterling, whereas “squid” is a marine animal or the ink of a cuttlefish.