n.
Pronunciation: ' kwä-t ə (r)- ˌ ner- ē , kw ə - ' t ə r-n ə -r ē
Function: adjective
Etymology: Latin quaternarius, from quaterni four each
Date: 1605
1 a : of, relating to, or consisting of four units or members b : of, relating to, or being a number system with a base of four
2 capitalized : of, relating to, or being the geological period from the end of the Tertiary to the present time or the corresponding system of rocks ― see GEOLOGIC TIME table
3 : consisting of, containing, or being an atom bonded to four other atoms