Quarter

Pronunciation

• UK IPA: /ˈkwɔːtÉ™/
• US IPA: /ˈk(w)É”(ɹ)ɾɚ/
• Rhymes: -ɔː(r)tÉ™(r)

Via French quartier, from Latin quartarius, from quartus.

Adjective

1. Pertaining to an aspect of a quarter.
2. (chiefly) Consisting of a fourth part, a quarter (1/4, 25%).
• A quarter hour; a quarter century; a quarter note; a quarter pound.
3. (chiefly) Related to a three-month term, a quarter of a year.
• A quarter day is one terminating a quarter of the year.
• A quarter session is one held quarterly at the end of a quarter.

Derived terms

Full definition of quarter

Noun

1. Any one of four equal parts into which something has been divided.
2. (US, Canada) A coin worth 25 cents (1/4 of a dollar).
3. A period of three consecutive months (1/4 of a year).
4. A section or area (of a town, etc.).
5. (uncountable) Accommodation granted to a defeated opponent
• 1955, J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King, HarperCollinsPublishers (2007), p. 1110.Hard fighting and long labour they had still; for the Southrons were bold men and grim, and fierce in despair, and the Easterlings were strong and war-hardened and asked for no quarter.
6. An old English measure of corn, containing 8 bushels.
• 1882, James Edwin Thorold Rogers, A History of Agriculture and Prices in England, volume 4, p. 204.One of these is 1 Hen. V, cap. 10, defining the quarter of corn to be eight struck bushels, and putting fines on purveyors who take more.
7. An old English measure of cloth, nine inches or four nails
8. (historical) Each of the four divisions or watches of a twelve-hour night.
• 1526, William Tyndale, trans. Bible, Mark VI:And aboute the fourth quartre of the nyght, he cam unto them, walkinge apon the see ....
9. (heraldiccharge) A charge made up of a quarter of the shield, larger than a canton, and normally on the upper dexter side, formed by a perpendicular line from the top meeting a horizontal line from the side.
10. That part on either side of a horse's hoof between the toe and heel, being the side of the coffin.
• 1877, Anna Sewell, Black Beauty Chapter 23http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Black_Beauty/23...at last she kicked right over the carriage pole and fell down, after giving me a severe blow on my near quarter.
11. (nautical) The aftmost part of a vessel's side, roughly from the last mast to the stern.
12. (obsolete) Friendship; amity; concord.
• ShakespeareIn quarter, and in terms like bride and groom.
• Francis BaconI knew two that were competitors for the secretary's place, ... and yet kept good quarter between themselves.

Synonyms

• (one of four equal parts): fourth, fourth part, ¼
• (period of three consecutive months): trimester
• (section of a town): borough, district, region

Derived terms

Related terms

• quart

Verb

1. (transitive) To divide into quarters.
2. (transitive) To provide housing for military personnel or other equipment.Quarter the horses in the third stable.
3. (intransitive) To lodge; to have a temporary residence.

French cartayer

Verb

1. (obsolete) To drive a carriage so as to prevent the wheels from going into the ruts, or so that a rut shall be between the wheels.Every creature that met us would rely on us for quartering — De Quincey.----