qui vive
"qui-vive" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“qui vive” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 8
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - a state of heightened vigilance, especially prior to battle
Corpus desk
Index EN-qui-vive · qui vive · English
qui vive · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables
- FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
- LEN-LONG 8 letters
- VOW-4 4 vowels
- CONFUS-0 No pairs
- VAR-0 0 variants
- BOOK-THIN "Q" thin
- PHOTO-UNK Peer pending
Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern
Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | qui vive |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| Letters | 8 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Long-tail rank of “qui vive” in English
Rare enough to double-check
qui vive is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "a state of heightened vigilance, especially prior to battle".
qui vive doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.
Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from French qui vive. The correct English form is qui vive, spelled Q-U-I- -V-I-V-E.
Definition
- 1a state of heightened vigilance, especially prior to battle
Recorded use
Wiktionary examplesThese source excerpts show how qui vive appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
"QUI vive!" The sentry's musket rings, The channelled bayonet gleams; High o'er him, like a raven's wings The broad tri-colored banner flings "QUI vive!" The sentry's musket rings,. The channelled bayonet #:gleams; ... "Qui vive!" How oft the midnight air. That startling cry has borne! ...
Qui vive? Who passes by up there? Who moves -- what stirs in the startled air? What whispers, thrills, exults up there? Qui vive?
Etymology
Borrowed from French qui vive.
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.