QUARTER

quarter

(noun) clemency or mercy shown to a defeated opponent; “he surrendered but asked for quarter”

quarter

(noun) piece of leather that comprises the part of a shoe or boot covering the heel and joining the vamp

stern, after part, quarter, poop, tail

(noun) the rear part of a ship

quarter

(noun) a district of a city having some distinguishing character; “the Latin Quarter”

quarter

(noun) an unspecified person; “he dropped a word in the right quarter”

quarter

(noun) a United States or Canadian coin worth one fourth of a dollar; “he fed four quarters into the slot machine”

quarter

(noun) a quarter of a hundredweight (28 pounds)

quarter

(noun) a quarter of a hundredweight (25 pounds)

fourth, one-fourth, one-quarter, quarter, fourth part, twenty-five percent, quartern

(noun) one of four equal parts; “a quarter of a pound”

quarter

(noun) one of the four major division of the compass; “the wind is coming from that quarter”

quarter

(noun) a fourth part of a year; three months; “unemployment fell during the last quarter”

quarter

(noun) one of four periods into which the school year is divided; “the fall quarter ends at Christmas”

quarter

(noun) a unit of time equal to 15 minutes or a quarter of an hour; “it’s a quarter til 4”; “a quarter after 4 o’clock”

quarter

(noun) (football, professional basketball) one of four divisions into which some games are divided; “both teams scored in the first quarter”

quarter

(verb) divide by four; divide into quarters

quarter

(verb) divide into quarters; “quarter an apple”

quarter, billet, canton

(verb) provide housing for (military personnel)

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Etymology 1

Noun

quarter (countable and uncountable, plural quarters)

A fourth part of something.

(in general sense) Each of four equal parts into which something can be divided; a fourth part. [from 14th c.]

(now, chiefly, historical) A measure of capacity used chiefly for grain or coal, varying greatly in quantity by time and location. [from 13th c.]

A fourth part of a pound; approximately 113 grams. [from 14th c.]

(historical) A measure of length; originally a fourth part of an ell, now chiefly a fourth part of a yard. [from 14th c.]

(now, historical) A fourth part of the night; one of the watches or divisions of the night. [from 14th c.]

(now, chiefly, financial) A fourth part of the year; 3 months; a term or season. [from 14th c.]

A fourth part of an hour; a period of fifteen minutes, especially with reference to the quarter before or after the hour. [from 15th c.]

(now, chiefly, historical) A fourth part of a hundredweight. [from 15th c.]

(heraldiccharge) A fourth part of a coat of arms, or the charge on it, 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. [from 15th c.]

(North America) A quarter-dollar, divided into 25 cents; the coin of that value minted in the United States or Canada. [from 18th c.]

(sport) One of four equal periods into which a game is divided. [from 19th c.]

Place or position.

A region or place. [from 13th c.]

Each of four parts into which the earth or sky is divided, corresponding to the four cardinal points of the compass. [from 14th c.]

A division or section of a town or city, especially having a particular character of its own, or associated with a particular group etc. [from 16th c.]

One's residence or dwelling-place; (in plural) rooms, lodgings, especially as allocated to soldiers or domestic staff. [from 16th c.]

(obsolete) Relations between people. [17th c.]

Accommodation given to a defeated opponent; mercy; exemption from being killed. [from 17th c.]

Technical or specialized senses.

(farriery) The part on either side of a horse's hoof between the toe and heel, the side of its coffin. [from 16th c.]

(nautical) The aftmost part of a vessel's side, roughly from the last mast to the stern. [from 16th c.]

Short forms.

(now, rare, rugby, American football) A quarterback. [from 19th c.]

(military slang, now rare) A quartermaster; a quartermaster sergeant. [from 20th c.]

A quarterfinal. [from 20th c.]

Synonyms

• (one of four equal parts): fourth, fourth part, ¼

• (period of three consecutive months): trimester, cour

• (section of a town): district; ward; neighborhood; ghetto (pejorative); borough (New York City); capitoulate (Toulouse, historical)

Adjective

quarter (not comparable)

Pertaining to an aspect of a quarter.

(chiefly) Consisting of a fourth part, a quarter (1/4, 25%).

(chiefly) Related to a three-month term, a quarter of a year.

Antonyms

• quadruple

Usage notes

Often used in a combining form quarter-.

Verb

quarter (third-person singular simple present quarters, present participle quartering, simple past and past participle quartered)

(transitive) To divide into quarters; to divide by four.

(transitive) To provide housing for military personnel or other equipment.

(intransitive) To lodge; to have a temporary residence.

(transitive) To quartersaw.

Synonyms

• (to have a temporary residence): stay over, stop; See also sojourn

Antonyms

• quadruple (multiply by four)

Etymology 2

Verb

quarter (third-person singular simple present quarters, present participle quartering, simple past and past participle quartered)

(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.

Source: Wiktionary

Quar"ter, n. Etym: [F. quartier, L. quartarius a fourth part, fr. quartus the fourth. See Quart.]

1. One of four equal parts into which anything is divided, or is regarded as divided; a fourth part or portion; as, a quarter of a dollar, of a pound, of a yard, of an hour, etc. Hence, specifically: (a) The fourth of a hundred-weight, being 25 or 28 pounds, according as the hundredweight is reckoned at 100 or 112 pounds. (b) The fourth of a ton in weight, or eight bushels of grain; as, a quarter of wheat; also, the fourth part of a chaldron of coal. Hutton. (c) (Astron.) The fourth part of the moon's period, or monthly revolution; as, the first quarter after the change or full. (d) One limb of a quadruped with the adjacent parts; one fourth part of the carcass of a slaughtered animal, including a leg; as, the fore quarters; the hind quarters. (e) That part of a boot or shoe which forms the side, from the heel to the vamp. (f) (Far.) That part on either side of a horse's hoof between the toe and heel, being the side of the coffin. (g) A term of study in a seminary, college, etc, etc.; properly, a fourth part of the year, but often longer or shorter. (h) pl. (Mil.)

Definition: The encampment on one of the principal passages round a place besieged, to prevent relief and intercept convoys. (i) (Naut.) The after-part of a vessel's side, generally corresponding in extent with the quarter-deck; also, the part of the yardarm outside of the slings. (j) (Her.) One of the divisions of an escutcheon when it is divided into four portions by a horizontal and a perpendicular line meeting in the fess point.

Note: When two coats of arms are united upon one escutcheon, as in case of marriage, the first and fourth quarters display one shield, the second and third the other. See Quarter, v. t., 5. (k) One of the four parts into which the horizon is regarded as divided; a cardinal point; a direction' principal division; a region; a territory. Scouts each coast light-armed scour, Each quarter, to descry the distant foe. Milton.

(l) A division of a town, city, or county; a particular district; a locality; as, the Latin quarter in Paris. (m) (Arch.) A small upright timber post, used in partitions; -- in the United States more commonly called stud. (n) (Naut.) The fourth part of the distance from one point of the compass to another, being the fourth part of 11° 15', that is, about 2° 49'; -- called also quarter point.

2. Proper station; specific place; assigned position; special location. Swift to their several quarters hasted then The cumbrous elements. Milton. Hence, specifically: (a) (Naut.) A station at which officers and men are posted in battle;

– usually in the plural. (b) Place of lodging or temporary residence; shelter; entertainment;

– usually in the plural. The banter turned as to what quarters each would find. W. Irving. (c) pl. (Mil.)

Definition: A station or encampment occupied by troops; a place of lodging for soldiers or officers; as, winter quarters. (d) Treatment shown by an enemy; mercy; especially, the act of sparing the life a conquered enemy; a refraining from pushing one's advantage to extremes. He magnified his own clemency, now they were at his mercy, to offer them quarter for their lives. Clarendon. Cocks and lambs . . . at the mercy of cats and wolves . . . must never expect better quarter. L'Estrange.

3. Friendship; amity; concord. [Obs.] To keep quarter, to keep one's proper place, and so be on good terms with another. [Obs.] In quarter, and in terms like bride and groom. Shak. I knew two that were competitors for the secretary's place, . . . and yet kept good quarter between themselves. Bacon. False quarter, a cleft in the quarter of a horse's foot.

– Fifth quarter, the hide and fat; -- a butcher's term.

– On the quarter (Naut.), in a direction between abeam and astern; opposite, or nearly opposite, a vessel's quarter.

– Quarter aspect. (Astrol.) Same as Quadrate.

– Quarter back (Football), the player who has position next behind center rush, and receives the ball on the snap back.

– Quarter badge (Naut.), an ornament on the side of a vessel near, the stern. Mar. Dict.

– Quarter bill (Naut.), a list specifying the different stations to be taken by the officers and crew in time of action, and the names of the men assigned to each.

– Quarter block (Naut.), a block fitted under the quarters of a yard on each side of the slings, through which the clew lines and sheets are reeved. R. H. Dana, Jr.

– Quarter boat (Naut.), a boat hung at a vessel's quarter.

– Quarter cloths (Naut.), long pieces of painted canvas, used to cover the quarter netting.

– Quarter day, a day regarded as terminating a quarter of the year; hence, one on which any payment, especially rent, becomes due. In matters influenced by United States statutes, quarter days are the first days of January, April, July, and October. In New York and many other places, as between landlord and tenant, they are the first days of May, August, November, and February. The quarter days usually recognized in England are 25th of March (Lady Day), the 24th of June (Midsummer Day), the 29th of September (Michaelmas Day), and the 25th of December (Christmas Day).

– Quarter face, in fine arts, portrait painting, etc., a face turned away so that but one quarter is visible.

– Quarter gallery (Naut.), a balcony on the quarter of a ship. See Gallery, 4.

– Quarter gunner (Naut.), a petty officer who assists the gunner.

– Quarter look, a side glance. [Obs.] B. Jonson.

– Quarter nettings (Naut.), hammock nettings along the quarter rails.

– Quarter note (Mus.), a note equal in duration to half a minim or a fourth of semibreve; a crochet.

– Quarter pieces (Naut.), several pieces of timber at the after- part of the quarter gallery, near the taffrail. Totten.

– Quarter point. (Naut.) See Quarter, n., 1 (n).

– Quarter railing, or Quarter rails (Naut.), narrow molded planks reaching from the top of the stern to the gangway, serving as a fence to the quarter-deck.

– Quarter sessions (Eng. Law), a general court of criminal jurisdiction held quarterly by the justices of peace in counties and by the recorders in boroughs.

– Quarter square (Math.), the fourth part of the square of a number. Tables of quarter squares have been devised to save labor in multiplying numbers.

– Quarter turn, Quarter turn belt (Mach.), an arrangement in which a belt transmits motion between two shafts which are at right angles with each other.

– Quarter watch (Naut.), a subdivision of the full watch (one fourth of the crew) on a man-of- war.

– To give, or show, quarter (Mil.), to accept as prisoner, on submission in battle; to forbear to kill, as a vanquished enemy.

– To keep quarter. See Quarter, n., 3.

Quar"ter, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Quartered; p. pr. & vb. n. Quartering.]

1. To divide into four equal parts.

2. To divide; to separate into parts or regions. Then sailors quartered heaven. Dryden.

3. To furnish with shelter or entertainment; to supply with the means of living for a time; especially, to furnish shelter to; as, to quarter soldiers. They mean this night in Sardis to be quartered. Shak.

4. To furnish as a portion; to allot. [R.] This isle . . . He quarters to his blue-haired deities. Milton.

5. (Her.)

Definition: To arrange (different coats of arms) upon one escutcheon, as when a man inherits from both father and mother the right to bear arms.

Note: When only two coats of arms are so combined they are arranged in four compartments. See Quarter, n., 1 (f).

Quar"ter, v. i.

Definition: To lodge; to have a temporary residence.

Quar"ter, v. i. Etym: [F. cartayer.]

Definition: 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.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition

QUARTER

Etymology 1

Noun

Synonyms

Adjective

Antonyms

Usage notes

Verb

Synonyms

Antonyms

Etymology 2

Verb

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