quo ‧ ta /ˈkwəʊtə $ ˈkwoʊ-/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[ Date: 1600-1700 ; Language: Medieval Latin ; Origin: Latin quota pars 'how large a part' ]
1 . an official limit on the number or amount of something that is allowed in a particular period
quota on
The government has imposed quotas on the export of timber.
The government has decided to scrap quotas on car imports.
quota for
Several countries have now set quotas for cod fishing.
There are plans to introduce strict immigration quotas.
2 . an amount of something that someone is expected to do or achieve
quota of
Each person was given a quota of tickets to sell.
quota for
In the 1990s the Navy couldn’t fill its quota for new recruits.
meet/make/achieve a quota
Workers only get paid if they make their quota.
sales/production quota
They’re worried that they won’t achieve this year’s sales quota.
3 . an amount of something that you think is fair, right, or normal SYN fair share
quota of
The committee has had more than its quota of problems.
I think I’ve had my quota of coffee for the day.
4 . British English a particular number of votes that someone needs to get to be elected in an election
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COLLOCATIONS
■ verbs
▪ impose/introduce a quota (=officially start it)
In 1993 the European Union imposed quotas on banana imports.
▪ set a quota (=say how much it is)
They have the right to set fishing quotas.
▪ lift/scrap a quota (=stop it)
The minister for trade lifted all quotas on imports and exports.
▪ exceed a quota
The fishermen were accused of exceeding their quotas.
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + quota
▪ a national quota
Five countries maintained national quotas on imports of Japanese cars.
▪ fishing quotas
The fishing qoutas are strictly enforced.
▪ production quotas
With an excess of milk in the European Union, production quotas were imposed on dairy farmers.
▪ import/export quotas
British industry was sheltered from foreign competition by higher tariffs and import quotas.
▪ an annual quota
The US immigration laws imposed a strict annual quota for each country of origin.
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ amount how much of something there is:
Try to reduce the amount of fat in your diet.
|
a tiny amount of poison
▪ quantity a particular amount of food, liquid, or another substance that can be measured – used especially in written descriptions and instructions:
Make sure that you add the right quantity of milk.
|
They buy the wood in large quantities.
▪ volume the amount of something such as business activity or traffic, especially when this is large or increasing:
The volume of traffic on our roads has risen sharply.
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the huge volume of trade with China
▪ level the exact amount of something at one time, which can go up or down at other times:
They measured the level of alcohol in his blood.
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There is a high level of unemployment.
▪ proportion the amount of something, compared with the whole amount that exists:
the proportion of road accidents caused by drunk drivers
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A high proportion of the students were from poor families.
▪ quota a maximum amount of something that can be produced, sold, brought into a country etc:
import quotas on Japanese cars
▪ yield /jiːld/ the amount of something that is produced, especially crops:
this year’s cotton yield