The same Latin word (mensacula, DMLBS 1763c: ‘knife for use at table or dressing board’) is glossed elsewhere with grant chuteus (TLL ii 150.35), grant coteus / cotews / cuteys (TLL ii 132.35) and trenchoure ((DMLBS 1763c) and in Middle English with bordenyfe and dressynge knyffe (DMLBS 1763c). In the case of this particular citation, the word appears in a list of ‘old-fashioned’ weapons, which indicates, together with the alternate gloss of hansax (‘short sword’), that the quiré was – at least in this instance – not a ‘table knife’, but a long knife or even a sword.

The vernacular word is not found anywhere else, but probably derives from Classical Latin Quiris, which means originally ‘Quiritian, citizen of Rome’, but also ‘mounted soldier’ and probably hence ‘spear’ and ‘stick, pole or mace’.