An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Quast

by Friedrich Kluge

Quast, masculine, ‘tuft, tassel,’ from Middle High German quast (queste, koste), masculine and feminine, ‘cluster of leaves, bath-brush’ (Old High German questa, ‘apron of leaves’); compare Dutch kwast, ‘brush for sprinkling holy water, brush’ (Danish kost, ‘besom,’ akin to Old Icelandic kvistr, ‘branch’).