an essential and distinguishing attribute of something or someone; the quality of mercy is not strained--Shakespeare
a degree or grade of excellence or worth; the quality of students has risen; an executive of low caliber
a characteristic property that defines the apparent individual nature of something; each town has a quality all its own; the radical character of our demands
(music) the distinctive property of a complex sound (a voice or noise or musical sound); the timbre of her soprano was rich and lovely; the muffled tones of the broken bell summoned them to meet
high social status; a man of quality'