■ noun
1》 each of four equal or corresponding parts into which something is or can be divided.
2》 a period of three months, used especially in reference to financial transactions.
↘ chiefly US each of four terms into which a school or university year may be divided.
3》 a ~-hour.
4》 ( ~s ) the haunches or hind~s of a horse.
5》 a US or Canadian coin worth 25 cents.
6》 one fourth of a pound weight (avoirdupois, equal to 4 ounces).
↘one fourth of a hundredweight ( Brit. 28 lb or US 25 lb).
↘ Brit. a grain measure equivalent to 8 bushels.
7》 a part of a town or city with a specific character or use.
8》 the direction of one of the points of the compass.
9》 either side of a ship aft of the beam.
10》 a person, group, area, etc. regarded as the source of something: help from an unexpected ~.
11》 ( ~s ) rooms or lodgings.
12》 (in combat) pity or mercy.
13》 Heraldry each of four or more roughly equal divisions of a shield.
↘a square charge covering the top left ~ of the field.
■ verb
1》 divide into ~s.
↘ historical cut the body of (an executed person) into four parts.
2》 ( be ~ed ) be stationed or lodged.
3》 range over (an area) in all directions.
4》 Heraldry display (different coats of arms) in ~s of a shield.
Origin
ME: from OFr. quartier , from L. quartarius 'fourth part of a measure', from quartus 'fourth', from quattuor 'four'.