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quest (n.)

c. 1300, "an inquest;" early 14c., "a search for something" (especially of judicial inquiries or hounds seeking game), from Old French queste "search, quest, chase, hunt, pursuit; inquest, inquiry" (12c., Modern French quête), properly "the act of seeking," and directly from Medieval Latin questa "search, inquiry," alteration of Latin quaesitus (fem. quaesita) "sought-out, select," past participle of quaerere "seek, gain, ask" (see query (n.)). Romance sense of "adventure undertaken by a knight" (especially the search for the Grail) is attested from late 14c. Johnson's dictionary has questmonger "Starter of lawsuits or prosecutions."

quest (v.)

mid-14c., "to seek game, hunt," from quest (n.) and from Old French quester "to search, hunt," from queste (n.). Related: Quested; questing.

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Definitions of quest from WordNet
1
quest (v.)
make a search (for);
Things that die with their eyes open and questing
The animal came questing through the forest
quest (v.)
search the trail of (game);
The dog went off and quested
quest (v.)
bark with prolonged noises, of dogs;
Synonyms: bay
quest (v.)
seek alms, as for religious purposes;
quest (v.)
express the need or desire for;
Synonyms: request / ask for / bespeak / call for
2
quest (n.)
a search for an alternative that meets cognitive criteria;
a quest for wealth
Synonyms: pursuit / pursuance
quest (n.)
the act of searching for something;
a quest for diamonds
Synonyms: seeking
From wordnet.princeton.edu