I. R ˈkwȯr]d.ər, ]tər sometimes by r- dissimilation -ȯ]; - R -ȯ(ə)]d.ə(r, ]tə(r\ noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English, from Old French quartier, from Latin quartarius, from quartus fourth + -arius -ary — more at quart
1. : one of four equal parts into which anything is divisible : a fourth part or portion
a quarter of a pound
2. : any of various units of capacity or weight equal to or derived from one fourth of some larger unit (as a hundredweight, imperial bushels, or a chaldron)
3.
a. : any of various units of length or area equal to one fourth of some larger unit (as a yard)
b. : quarter section
4. : the fourth part of a measure of time: as
a. : one of a set of four 3-month divisions of a calendar or fiscal year
b. : a school or college term of about 12 weeks resulting when an academic year is divided into four parts one of which is taken up by the long summer vacation or used for summer school — compare semester 2
c. : quarter hour 1
a quarter to six
5.
a. : a coin worth a quarter of a dollar (as a United States or Canadian 25-cent piece)
b. : the sum of 25 cents
6.
a. : one limb of a quadruped with the adjacent parts : one fourth part of the carcass of a slaughtered animal including a leg
had a sack of flour and a quarter of a fine fat beef in his sleigh — Hamlin Garland
— compare fifth quarter , forequarter , hindquarter
b. : one of the four parts of a human body similarly divided (as in an execution for treason)
7.
a. : the territory, region, or direction lying under any of the four divisions of the horizon conceived as corresponding to the cardinal points of the compass
b. : one of the four parts into which the horizon is divided or the cardinal point corresponding to it
c. : a compass point or direction other than the cardinal points
the wind is in that quarter
d.
(1) : a person or group not definitely specified
had his instructions from a very high quarter
(2) : a point, direction, or place not identified
trade from that quarter is only a trickle — Sydney (Australia) Bulletin
procuring the release of a man in jail, by dropping a word in the right quarter — Peggy Durdin
8.
a. : a district of a town or city devoted to a special purpose or activity, occupied by a particular group, or found notable for a conspicuous feature
the market quarter of Paris
the wholesale clothing quarter of New York
a residential quarter
b. : the inhabitants of such a quarter regarded as a group
the quarter was aroused and indignant
9.
a. : an assigned station or post ; especially : the station assigned to a member of a ship's crew for a particular purpose — usually used in plural
battle quarters
collision quarters
b. quarters plural : an assembly of a ship's company for purposes of ceremony, drill, or emergency
c. quarters plural : living accommodations: as
(1) : the living space of the crew aboard ship
(2) : the lodgings of soldiers or sailors or their families
(3) : the rooms, housing, or residence occupied by an individual, a family, or some other group
bachelor quarters
club quarters
found quarters for his family
10.
a. : the clemency of not putting to death a defeated enemy : forbearance , mercy
no quarter was asked or given; three women, two children, and a Negro servant survived — Oscar Handlin
b. : consideration shown to an opponent, antagonist, or fellow contestant by refraining from pressing advantages of superior strength or skill
she had climbed trees and shot marbles and played ball with them, and neither expected nor received any quarter — Gertrude Schweitzer
11. archaic
a. : one of the four parts of a road marked out by horse tracks and wheel ruts
b. : the shoulder of a highway
12. obsolete : relations or attitude to another person — used especially in the phrase to keep good quarter with
13. archaic : an upright wood framing member in a partition or wall : scantling , stud
14.
a. : a fourth part of the moon's period — see moon illustration
b. : quadrature 3
15. : the side of a horse's hoof between the toe and the heel
16.
a.
(1) : any of the four parts into which a heraldic field is divided by horizontal and vertical lines through the fess point
(2) : one of the parts into which a shield is divided by quartering — see grand quarter
b. : a bearing or charge occupying the first fourth part or thereabouts of a heraldic field — compare canton I 4
17. obsolete : a garden bed or plot
18. : the state of two machine parts that are exactly at right angles to one another or are spaced about a circle so as to subtend a right angle at the center of the circle
the crankpin holes are out of quarter
19.
a. : the afterpart of a ship's side usually corresponding in extent with the quarterdeck — see ship illustration
b. : the part of the yardarm outside of the slings
c. archaic : a fourth of a fathom
d. or quarter point : a fourth of the distance from one point of the compass to another reckoned as a fourth of 11°15′ or nearly 2°49′
20. : one side of the upper of a shoe or boot from heel to vamp — see shoe illustration
21.
a. : quarterback
b. : one of the four equal periods into which the playing time of some games (as football) is divided : one of the two subdivisions of a half
romped to victory, scoring touchdowns in every quarter
22. : one teat together with the part of a cow's udder that it drains
normal milk from all four quarters
a three quarter cow
II. verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English quarteren, from quarter, n.
transitive verb
1.
a. : to divide into four equal or nearly equal parts
b. : to separate into either more or fewer than four parts
quartered an orange
c. : to divide (a human body) into four parts : dismember
the traitor was hanged and quartered
2. : to provide with lodging or shelter ; especially : to assign (troops) to a lodging place — often used with on or upon
quartered his men on the inhabitants
3. : to pass back and forth across (an area) in many directions : cross and recross : search intensively
the bombers had conducted a 300-mile search, quartering and requartering the area — A.R.Griffin
larger animals not only eat larger pieces of food, but also quarter more territory to find it — Orlando Park
4.
a. : to arrange or bear (as different coats of arms) quarterly on one escutcheon
b. : to add (a coat of arms) to another or others on one escutcheon : arrange alternately and quarterly — often used with with
5. : to adjust or locate (as cranks) at right angles in a machine
6. : to groom (a horse) lightly
intransitive verb
1. : to occupy a residence : lodge
the family quartered in a big old house
2. : to crisscross a district : range back and forth over an area like a dog in search of game
our attack force had to quarter for them — Fletcher Pratt
3. : to drive a vehicle so as to straddle the ruts in the road
4. : to change from one quarter to another — used of the moon
5.
a. : to strike or blow on a ship's quarter — used of the wind
b. : to sail with the wind on the quarter
III. adjective
Etymology: quarter (I)
1. : consisting of or equal to a quarter
2. : of or relating to the part in the mechanism of a clock or repeating watch governing the striking of the quarter hours — see quarter snail
3.
a. : placed at a right angle to another similar machine part
a quarter crank
b. : having a branch at right angles to another
a quarter crankshaft
4. : of or relating to the quarter of a ship