Adjacent Words

Quarter definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

QUARTER, n. quort'er. [L. quartus, the fourth part.]
1. The fourth part; as the quarter of an hour or of a mile; one quarter of the expense. Living is a quarter dearer in the city than in the country.
2. In weight, the fourth part of a hundred pounds avoirdupois, or of 112lb., that is, 28lb.; as a quarter of sugar.
3. In dry measure, the fourth of a ton in weight, or eight bushels; as a quarter of wheat.
4. In astronomy, the fourth part of the moon's period or monthly revolution; as the first quarter after the change or full.
5. A region in the hemisphere or great circle; primarily, one of the four cardinal points; as the four quarters of the globe; but used indifferently for any region or point of compass. From what quarter does the wind blow? Hence,
6. A particular region of a town, city or country; as all quarters of the city; in every quarter of the country or of the continent. Hence.
7. Usually in the plural, quarters, the place of lodging or temporary residence; appropriately, the place where officers and soldiers lodge, but applied to the lodgings of any temporary resident. He called on the general at his quarters; the place furnished good winter quarters for the troops. I saw the stranger at his quarters.
8. Proper station.
Swift to their several quarters hasten then -
Bacon uses the word in the singular. 'Make love keep quarter."
9. On board of ships, quarters signifies the stations or places where the officers and men are posted in action. Pipe all hands to quarters.
10. In military affairs, the remission or sparing of the life of a captive or an enemy when in one's power; mercy granted by a conqueror to his enemy, when no longer able to defend himself. In desperate encounters, men will sometimes neither ask nor give quarter. The barbarous practice of giving no quarter to soldiers in a fortress taken by assault, is nearly obsolete.
He magnified his own clemency, now they were at his mercy, to offer them quarter for their lives, if they would give up the castle.
Lambs at the mercy of wolves much expect no quarter.
11. Treatment shown to an enemy; indulgence.
To the young, if you give tolerable quarter, you indulge them in idleness and ruin them. [Rarely used.]
12. Friendship; amity; concord. [Not in use.]
13. In the slaughter house, one limb of a quadruped with the adjoining parts; or one fourth part of the carcase of a quadruped, including a limb; as a fore quarter, or hind quarter.
14. In the menage, the quarters of a horse's foot are the sides of the coffin, between the toe and the heel. False quarters are a cleft in the horn of the hoof, extending from the coronet to the shoe, or from top to bottom. When for any disorder, one of the quarters is cut, the horse is said to be quarter-cast.
15. In a siege, quarters are the encampment on one of the principal passages round the place besieged, to prevent relief and intercept convoys.
16. In seminaries of learning, a fourth part of the year, or three months. Tuition and board at twenty five dollars the quarter. This is a moderate quarter bill.
17. The quarter of a ship, is the part of a ship's side which lies towards the stern, or the part between the aftmost end of the main-chains and the sides of the stern, where it is terminated by the quarter-pieces.
18. In heraldry, one of the parts or members of the first division of a coat that is divided into four parts.
On the quarter, in seamen's language, is a point in the horizon considerably abaft the beam, but not in the direction of the stern.
Quarter-bill, among seamen, is a list containing the different stations where the officers and crew are to take post in time of action, and the names of the men assigned to each.
Quarter-cloths, long pieces of painted canvas, extended on the outside of the quarter-netting from the upper part of the gallery to the gangway.
Quarter-deck, that part of the deck of a ship which extends from the stern to the mainmast. But in some kinds of vessels, the quarter-deck does not extend to the mainmast, but is raised above the main deck.
Quarter-gallery, a sort of balcony on the quarters of a ship.
Quarter-railing, narrow molded planks, reaching from the top of the stern to the gangway, serving as a fence to the quarter-deck.
Quarter-master, in an army, an officer whose business is to attend to the quarters for the soldiers, their provisions, fuel, forage, etc.; in the navy, an officer who assists the mates in their duties, in stowing the hold, coiling the cables, attending the steerage, and keeping time by the watch glasses.
Quarter-master-general, in military affairs, is an officer whose duty is to mark the marches and encampments of an army, the head-quarters, the place for the artillery, and procure supplies of provisions and forage, etc.
1. Quarter-staff, a long staff borne by foresters and park-keepers, as a badge of office and a weapon.
2. A staff of defense.
Quarter-sessions, in England, a general court held quarterly by the justices of peace of each county, with jurisdiction to try and determine felonies and trespasses; but capital offenses are seldom or never tried in this court.
Quarter-round, in architecture, the echinus or ovolo.
Head-quarters, the tent or mansion of the commander in chief of an army.
QUART'ER, v.t.
1. To divide into four equal parts.
2. To divide; to separate into parts.
3. To divide into distinct regions or compartments.
The sailors quarter'd heaven.
4. To station soldiers for lodging; as, to quarter troops in the city or among the inhabitants, or on the inhabitants.
5. To lodge; to fix on a temporary dwelling.
They mean this night in Sardis to be quarter'd.
6. To diet. [Not in use.]
7. To bear as an appendage to the hereditary arms.
The coat of Beauchamp - quartered by the earl of Hertford.
QUART'ER, v.i. To lodge; to have a temporary residence. The general quarters at a hotel in Church street.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: one of four equal parts; "a quarter of a pound" [syn: one- fourth, fourth, one-quarter, quarter, fourth part, twenty-five percent, quartern]
2: a district of a city having some distinguishing character; "the Latin Quarter"
3: (football, professional basketball) one of four divisions into which some games are divided; "both teams scored in the first quarter"
4: 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"
5: one of four periods into which the school year is divided; "the fall quarter ends at Christmas"
6: a fourth part of a year; three months; "unemployment fell during the last quarter"
7: one of the four major division of the compass; "the wind is coming from that quarter"
8: a quarter of a hundredweight (25 pounds)
9: a quarter of a hundredweight (28 pounds)
10: a United States or Canadian coin worth one fourth of a dollar; "he fed four quarters into the slot machine"
11: an unspecified person; "he dropped a word in the right quarter"
12: the rear part of a ship [syn: stern, after part, quarter, poop, tail]
13: piece of leather that comprises the part of a shoe or boot covering the heel and joining the vamp
14: clemency or mercy shown to a defeated opponent; "he surrendered but asked for quarter" v
1: provide housing for (military personnel) [syn: quarter, billet, canton]
2: pull (a person) apart with four horses tied to his extremities, so as to execute him; "in the old days, people were drawn and quartered for certain crimes" [syn: draw, quarter, draw and quarter]
3: divide into quarters; "quarter an apple"
4: divide by four; divide into quarters

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin quartarius, from quartus fourth Date: 14th century 1. one of four equal parts into which something is divisible ; a fourth part <in the top quarter of his class> 2. any of various units of capacity or weight equal to or derived from one fourth of some larger unit 3. any of various units of length or area equal to one fourth of some larger unit 4. the fourth part of a measure of time: as a. one of a set of four 3-month divisions of a year <business was up during the third quarter> b. a school term of about 12 weeks c. quarter hour <a quarter after three> 5. a. a coin worth a quarter of a dollar b. the sum of 25 cents 6. a. one limb of a quadruped with the adjacent parts; especially one fourth part of the carcass of a slaughtered animal including a leg b. plural, British hindquarter 2 7. a. the region or direction lying under any of the four divisions of the horizon 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 d. (1) an unspecified person or group <financial help from many quarters — Current Biography> (2) a point, direction, or place not definitely identified <the view to the rear quarter — Consumer Reports> 8. a. a division or district of a town or city <he describes the immigrant quarter — Alfred Kazin> b. the inhabitants of such a quarter 9. a. an assigned station or post b. plural an assembly of a ship's company for ceremony, drill, or emergency c. plural living accommodations ; lodgings <show you to your quarters> 10. merciful consideration of an opponent <a team that gave no quarter during the championship game>; specifically the clemency of not killing a defeated enemy 11. a fourth part of the moon's period 12. the side of a horse's hoof between the toe and the heel — see hoof illustration 13. a. any of the four parts into which a heraldic field is divided b. a bearing or charge occupying the first fourth part of a heraldic field 14. the stern area of a ship's side 15. one side of the upper of a shoe or boot from heel to vamp 16. one of the four equal periods into which the playing time of some games is divided II. verb Date: 14th century transitive verb 1. a. to cut or divide into four equal or nearly equal parts <quarter an apple> <condemned to be hanged, drawn, and quartered> b. archaic divide 2. to provide with lodging or shelter 3. to crisscross (an area) in many directions 4. a. to arrange or bear (as different coats of arms) quarterly on one escutcheon b. to add (a coat of arms) to others on one escutcheon c. to divide (a shield) into distinct sections (as by stripes) intransitive verb 1. lodge, dwell 2. to crisscross a district 3. to change from one quarter to another <the moon quarters> 4. to strike on a ship's quarter <the wind was quartering> III. adjective Date: 14th century consisting of or equal to a quarter

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. & v. --n. 1 each of four equal parts into which a thing is or might be divided. 2 a period of three months, usu. for which payments become due on the quarter day. 3 a point of time 15 minutes before or after any hour. 4 a school or US university term. 5 a 25 US or Canadian cents. b a coin of this denomination. 6 a part of a town, esp. as occupied by a particular class or group (residential quarter). 7 a a point of the compass. b a region at such a point. 8 the direction, district, or source of supply etc. (help from any quarter; came from all quarters). 9 (in pl.) a lodgings; an abode. b Mil. the living accommodation of troops etc. 10 a one fourth of a lunar month. b the moon's position between the first and second (first quarter) or third and fourth (last quarter) of these. 11 a each of the four parts into which an animal's or bird's carcass is divided, each including a leg or wing. b (in pl.) hist. the four parts into which a traitor etc. was cut after execution. c (in pl.) = HINDQUARTERS. 12 mercy offered or granted to an enemy in battle etc. on condition of surrender. 13 a Brit. a grain measure equivalent to 8 bushels. b one-fourth of a hundredweight (28 lb. or US 25 lb.). 14 a each of four divisions on a shield. b a charge occupying this, placed in chief. 15 either side of a ship abaft the beam. 16 (in American and Australian football) each of four equal periods into which a match is divided. --v.tr. 1 divide into quarters. 2 hist. divide (the body of an executed person) in this way. 3 a put (troops etc.) into quarters. b station or lodge in a specified place. 4 (foll. by on) impose (a person) on another as a lodger. 5 cut (a log) into quarters, and these into planks so as to show the grain well. 6 (esp. of a dog) range or traverse (the ground) in every direction. 7 Heraldry a place or bear (charges or coats of arms) on the four quarters of a shield's surface. b add (another's coat) to one's hereditary arms. c (foll. by with) place in alternate quarters with. d divide (a shield) into four or more parts by vertical and horizontal lines. Phrases and idioms: quarter-binding the type of bookbinding in which the spine is bound in one material (usu. leather) and the sides in another. quarter day one of four days on which quarterly payments are due, tenancies begin and end, etc. quarter-final a match or round preceding the semifinal. quarter-hour 1 a period of 15 minutes. 2 = sense 3 of n. quarter-light Brit. a window in the side of a motor vehicle, closed carriage, etc. other than the main door-window. quarter-line Rugby Football a space enclosed by a line across the ground 22 metres from the goal-line. quarter note esp. US Mus. a crotchet. quarter-plate 1 a photographic plate or film 8.3 x 10.8 cm. 2 a photograph reproduced from it. quarter sessions hist. (in the UK) a court of limited criminal and civil jurisdiction and of appeal, usu. held quarterly. quarter-tone Mus. half a semitone. Etymology: ME f. AF quarter, OF quartier f. L quartarius fourth part (of a measure) f. quartus fourth

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Quarter Quar"ter, n. [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.) 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[deg] 15', that is, about 2[deg] 49'; -- called also quarter point.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

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.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Quarter Quar"ter, v. i. [F. cartayer.] 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.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Quarter Quar"ter, v. i. To lodge; to have a temporary residence.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(quarters, quartering, quartered) Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English. 1. A quarter is one of four equal parts of something. A quarter of the residents are over 55 years old... I've got to go in a quarter of an hour... Prices have fallen by a quarter since January... Cut the peppers into quarters. FRACTION • Quarter is also a predeterminer. The largest asteroid is Ceres, which is about a quarter the size of the moon. PREDET • Quarter is also an adjective. ...the past quarter century... ADJ: ADJ n 2. A quarter is a fixed period of three months. Companies often divide their financial year into four quarters. The group said results for the third quarter are due on October 29. N-COUNT: usu sing 3. When you are telling the time, you use quarter to talk about the fifteen minutes before or after an hour. For example, 8.15 is quarter past eight, and 8.45 is quarter to nine. In American English, you can also say that 8.15 is a quarter after eight and 8.45 is a quarter of nine. It was a quarter to six... I got a call at quarter of seven one night... N-UNCOUNT: also a N 4. If you quarter something such as a fruit or a vegetable, you cut it into four roughly equal parts. Chop the mushrooms and quarter the tomatoes. VERB: V n 5. If the number or size of something is quartered, it is reduced to about a quarter of its previous number or size. The doses I suggested for adults could be halved or quartered. VERB: usu passive, be V-ed 6. A quarter is an American or Canadian coin that is worth 25 cents. I dropped a quarter into the slot of the pay phone. N-COUNT 7. A particular quarter of a town is a part of the town where a particular group of people traditionally live or work. Look for hotels in the French Quarter. N-COUNT: supp N 8. To refer to a person or group you may not want to name, you can talk about the reactions or actions from a particular quarter. Help came from an unexpected quarter... N-COUNT: usu supp N 9. The rooms provided for soldiers, sailors, or servants to live in are called their quarters. Mckinnon went down from deck to the officers' quarters. N-PLURAL: poss N 10. If you do something at close quarters, you do it very near to a particular person or thing. You can watch aircraft take off or land at close quarters... PHRASE: PHR after v, v-link PHR

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

kwor'-ter: Literally, of course, "the fourth part," and so of the four "ends" (qatsah) in Jer 49:36, and the King James Version of the four "corners" (so the Revised Version (British and American), gonia) in Re 20:8. Hence, "any part" and in this sense used freely for various words by the King James Version. the Revised Version (British and American) has usually dropped "quarter," but unfortunately has retained it in Nu 34:3; Jos 15:5; 18:14,15, and introduced it in Jos 18:12,14,20 for pe'ah, usually rendered "side." The result is very obscure. Elsewhere in the Revised Version (British and American) only in the phrase "from every quarter" (Ge 19:4; Isa 56:11; Mr 1:45).

Compare BORDER; COAST.

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. n. 1. Fourth part. 2. District, region, territory, locality, place. 3. Mercy (granted by a conqueror). 4. Station, position, location, specific place. 5. Proper position, specific place, special location. II. v. a. 1. Divide in four equal parts. 2. Divide, separate into parts, cut to pieces. 3. Lodge, billet, furnish with quarters (as soldiers). 4. Allot, share, deal out, furnish. III. v. n. Lodge, abide, have lodgings, be stationed.

Moby Thesaurus

C, C-note, G, G-note, abode, abundant year, academic year, accommodate, accommodations, achievement, adjunct, aim, airspace, alerion, anchor, animal charge, annulet, annum, area, argent, armorial bearings, armory, arms, azimuth, azure, bandeau, bank, bar, bar sinister, barracks, barrio, baton, beam, bearing, bearings, bed, belt, bend, bend sinister, benevolence, bent, berth, billet, billet at, bissextile year, bivouac, blazon, blazonry, board, border, bordure, broad arrow, broadside, buck, bunk, burrow, cadency mark, calendar month, calendar year, camp, canton, cantonment, cartwheel, casern, cent, century, chambers, chaplet, charge, cheek, chevron, chief, chop, clemency, coast, coat of arms, cockatrice, colonize, come to anchor, commiseration, common year, compassion, component, condolence, confines, continental shelf, contingent, copper, coronet, corridor, country, course, crescent, crest, cross, cross moline, cross section, crown, current, day, decade, decennary, decennium, defective year, department, detachment, detail, device, difference, differencing, dime, direction, direction line, district, division, dole, dollar, dollar bill, domesticate, domicile, domiciliate, drift, drop anchor, dwelling, eagle, ensconce, entertain, environs, ermine, ermines, erminites, erminois, escutcheon, establish residence, falcon, farthing, favor, feeling, fess, fess point, field, fifty cents, file, fin, fiscal year, fish, five cents, five hundred dollars, five-dollar bill, five-hundred-dollar bill, five-spot, fiver, flanch, flank, fleur-de-lis, forbearance, forgiveness, fortnight, four bits, fourth, fourth part, fraction, fret, frogskin, fur, fusil, garland, grace, grand, griffin, ground, gules, gyron, habitation, half G, half a C, half dollar, half grand, hand, handedness, harbor, hatchment, haunch, heading, heartland, helmet, helmsmanship, heraldic device, hinterland, hip, hive, home, honor point, hour, house, humanity, hundred-dollar bill, hut, impalement, impaling, inclination, inescutcheon, inhabit, installment, iron man, item, jowl, keep house, kindness, label, land, laterality, lay, leap year, leniency, lie, line, line of direction, line of march, lion, live at, living quarters, locale, locality, locate, location, lodge, lodgings, lozenge, lunar month, lunar year, lunation, luster, lustrum, man-hour, mantling, many-sidedness, marshaling, martlet, mascle, mercifulness, mercy, metal, microsecond, milieu, mill, millennium, millisecond, minute, mitigation, moment, month, moon, moor, motto, move, mullet, multilaterality, navigation, neighborhood, nest, nickel, nombril point, octofoil, offshore rights, one-fourth, or, ordinary, orientation, orle, pale, paly, parcel, pardon, park, part, particular, parts, pathos, pean, penny, people, percentage, perch, pheon, piloting, pity, place, planking, point, portion, post, precinct, precincts, premises, profile, purlieus, purpure, put up, quadrant, quadrature, quadrisect, quart, quartering, quartern, quarters, quarto, quinquennium, quota, random sample, range, red cent, region, regular year, relief, relocate, remainder, reprieve, reside, residence, room, rooms, roost, rose, run, ruth, sable, salient, saltire, sample, sampling, sawbuck, scutcheon, second, section, sector, segment, self-pity, semester, session, set, set up housekeeping, set up shop, settle, settle down, share, shelter, shield, shore, side, sidereal year, siding, silver dollar, sit down, skin, smacker, soil, solar year, space, spot, spread eagle, squat, stable, stand, station, stay at, steerage, steering, strike root, subdivision, subgroup, subordinary, subspecies, sun, sympathy, take residence at, take root, take up residence, temple, ten cents, ten-spot, tendency, tenne, tenner, tenor, term, terrain, territory, thousand dollars, thousand-dollar bill, three-mile limit, tincture, torse, track, trend, tressure, trimester, twelve-mile limit, twelvemonth, twenty-dollar bill, twenty-five cents, twenty-five percent, two bits, two-dollar bill, two-spot, unicorn, unilaterality, vair, vert, vicinage, vicinity, way, week, weekday, wreath, yale, yard, year, zone