Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense quarters, present participle quartering, past tense, past participle quartered
1. fraction
A quarter is one of four equal parts of something.
A quarter of the residents are over 55 years old. [+ of]
I've got to go in a quarter of an hour. [+ of]
Prices have fallen by a quarter since January.
Cut the peppers into quarters.
Quarter is also a predeterminer.
The largest asteroid is Ceres, which is about a quarter the size of the moon.
Quarter is also an adjective.
...the past quarter century.
He closed his door and started the quarter-mile walk down the hill.
2. countable noun [usually singular]
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.
3. uncountable noun [oft aNOUN]
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 quarter to six. [+ to]
See you about quarter to nine.
I got a call at a quarter of seven one night. [+ of]
Nobody else turned up till a quarter past ten.
The time was recorded at a quarter after five.
4. verb
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 noun]
5. verb [usually passive]
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. [beVERB-ed]
6. countable noun
A quarter is an American or Canadian coin that is worth 25 cents.
I dropped a quarter into the slot of the pay phone.
7. countable noun
A particular quarter of a town is a part of the town where a particular group of people traditionallylive or work.
Look for hotels in the French Quarter.
8. countable noun
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.
The pharmaceuticals industry is regarded with scepticism in some quarters.
Synonyms: source, place, point, person More Synonyms of quarter
9. plural noun
The rooms provided for soldiers, sailors, or servants to live in are called their quarters.
Mckinnon went down from deck to the officers' quarters.
10. verb [usually passive]
If people are quartered somewhere, they are provided with accommodation for a short time, usually while they are working away from home.
Our soldiers are quartered in Peredelkino. [beVERB-ed preposition/adverb]
Synonyms: accommodate, house, lodge, place More Synonyms of quarter
11.
See at close quarters
12.
See no quarter
More Synonyms of quarter
quarter in British English
(ˈkwɔːtə)
noun
1.
one of four equal or nearly equal parts of an object, quantity, amount, etc
2. Also called: fourth
the fraction equal to one divided by four (1⁄4)
3. US and Canadian
a quarter of a dollar; 25-cent piece
4.
a unit of weight equal to a quarter of a hundredweight. 1 US quarter is equal to 25 pounds; 1 Brit quarter is equal to 28 pounds
5. short for quarter-hour
6.
a fourth part of a year; three months
7. astronomy
a.
one fourth of the moon's period of revolution around the earth
b.
either of two phases of the moon, first quarter or last quarter, when half of the lighted surface is visible from the earth
8. informal
a unit of weight equal to a quarter of a pound or 4 ounces
9. British
a unit of capacity for grain, etc, usually equal to 8 UK bushels
10. sport
one of the four periods into which certain games are divided
11. nautical
the part of a vessel's side towards the stern, usually aft of the aftermost mast
the port quarter
12. nautical
the general direction along the water in the quadrant between the beam of a vessel and its stern
the wind was from the port quarter
13.
a region or district of a town or city
the Spanish quarter
14.
a region, direction, or point of the compass
15. (sometimes plural)
an unspecified person or group of people
to get word from the highest quarter
16.
mercy or pity, as shown to a defeated opponent (esp in the phrases ask for or give quarter)
17.
any of the four limbs, including the adjacent parts, of the carcass of a quadruped or bird
a hind quarter of beef
18. veterinary science
the side part of the wall of a horse's hoof
19.
the part of a shoe or boot covering the heel and joining the vamp
20. heraldry
one of four more or less equal quadrants into which a shield may be divided
21. military slang short for quartermaster
verb
22. (transitive)
to divide into four equal or nearly equal parts
23. (transitive)
to divide into any number of parts
24. (transitive)
(esp formerly) to dismember (a human body)
to be drawn and quartered
25.
to billet or be billeted in lodgings, esp (of military personnel) in civilian lodgings
26. (intransitive)
(of gun dogs or hounds) to range over an area of ground in search of game or the scent of quarry
27. (intransitive) nautical
(of the wind) to blow onto a vessel's quarter
the wind began to quarter
28. (transitive) heraldry
a.
to divide (a shield) into four separate bearings with a cross
b.
to place (one set of arms) in diagonally opposite quarters to another
adjective
29.
being or consisting of one of four equal parts
a quarter pound of butter
Word origin
C13: from Old French quartier, from Latin quartārius a fourth part, from quartus fourth
quarter in American English
(ˈkwɔrtər)
noun
1.
any of the four equal parts of something; fourth
2.
one fourth of a hundredweight: 25 pounds in the U.S., 28 pounds in Great Britain
3.
one fourth of a yard, or 9 inches; span
4.
one fourth of a pound
5. US
one fourth of a mile; two furlongs
6.
a.
one fourth of a year; three months
b.
any of the three terms, of about eleven weeks each, which make up an academic year in some schools and colleges
7.
a.
one fourth of an hour; 15 minutes
b.
the moment marking the end of each fourth of an hour
8. US
a.
one fourth of a dollar; 25 cents
b.
a U.S. or Canadian coin equal to 25 cents: the U.S. quarter is made of copper and nickel
9.
any leg of a four-legged animal, with the adjoining parts
10.
a.
any of four main points of the compass
b.
any of the four divisions of the horizon as marked off by these points
c.
any of the regions of the earth thought of as under these divisions
11.
a particular district or section in a city
the Latin quarter
12. [pl.]
lodgings; place of abode
13.
mercy granted to a surrendering foe
14.
a particular person, group, place, etc., esp. one serving as a source or origin
news from the highest quarters
15.
the part forming the side of a shoe from the heel to the vamp
16. Astronomy
a.
the period of time in which the moon makes about one fourth of its revolution aroundthe earth
b.
the first or last quarter phase of the moon, when it appears half lighted
17. US, American Football, Basketball Etc
any of the four periods into which a game is divided
18. Heraldry
a.
any of the four equal divisions of a shield
b.
the bearing occupying such a division
19. Nautical
a.
the after part of a ship's side, between the beam and the stern
b.
a direction at a 45° angle aft of either beam
c. [pl.]
an assembly of crew members as for muster or at assigned stations for a specific drill or emergency
verb transitive
20.
to divide into four equal parts
21. Loosely
to separate into any number of parts
22.
to defile (the body of a person put to death) by dismembering it or cutting it into quarters
23.
to provide lodgings for; specif., to assign (soldiers) to lodgings
24.
to cover (an area) by passing back and forth over it in many directions like hounds in hunting; search intensively
25. Heraldry
a.
to place or bear (different coats of arms) on the quarters of a shield
b.
to add (a coat of arms) to a shield
26. Mechanics
to set (a crank, etc.) at right angles to the connecting part
verb intransitive
27.
to be lodged or stationed (at or with)
28.
to range over an area like hounds in hunting
29.
to swim, sail, etc. at an angle because of the wind, current, etc.
adjective
30.
constituting a quarter; equal to a quarter
Idioms:
at close quarters
cry quarter
Word origin
ME quartre < OFr quartier < L quartarius, fourth part < quartus, fourth: see quart1
Examples of 'quarter' in a sentence
quarter
This was the weakest quarter for four years.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Peel the potatoes and cut into quarters.
The Sun (2017)
It has found that just a quarter claiming to have disabled access pass their true accessibility test.
The Sun (2016)
That is the most in a quarter of a century.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Specialist services turn away a quarter of young people referred to them.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
She will spend an hour and a quarter in there each day to hone her look.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
The agreement and its aftermath take up less than one quarter of this rather short volume.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The broker has pencilled in a 500 million charge in the fourth quarter.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
GDP data for the last quarter will be released this month but early indicators suggest that growth has been robust.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
Despite this more than a quarter of council areas do not have a single rapid charger, rising to half in London.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The average pair of jeans carries three quarters of a pound of chemicals.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Its old quarter remains authentically full of life.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
The index has lost just under a quarter of its value since the beginning of the year.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Nearly a quarter say numbers should stay the same.
The Sun (2015)
This is the pattern for one quarter of the cloth.
Churchill, Jane (ed.) Collins Complete Books of Soft Furnishings (1993)
Four in ten of all wage deals in the second quarter were freezes.
The Sun (2009)
Cut aubergine into quarters and then in half.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
We can afford the rent for only another quarter but have three years left on the lease.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
The headline results are also expected to be little changed from the previous quarter.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Three-quarters of the measures will come from spending cuts and a quarter from tax rises.
The Sun (2010)
Yet only a quarter of this group were willing to pay for the installation themselves.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
About three quarters of target areas have such teams in place.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
They took him away at about quarter past four in the morning.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Data for the third quarter are due out today.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
They rounded up another five thousand from the city 's Armenian quarters.
Marsden, Philip The Crossing-Place (1993)
First quarter Moon close above on the 3rd.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
Word lists with
quarter
Terms used in Australian Rules Football, heraldry
In other languages
quarter
British English: quarter /ˈkwɔːtə/ NOUN
A quarter is one of four equal parts of something.
My sister ate a quarter of the chocolate cake.
American English: quarter
Arabic: رُبْع
Brazilian Portuguese: quarta parte
Chinese: 四分之一
Croatian: četvrtina
Czech: čtvrtina
Danish: kvarter
Dutch: kwart
European Spanish: cuarto
Finnish: neljännes
French: quart
German: Viertel
Greek: τέταρτο
Italian: trimestre
Japanese: 4分の1
Korean: 4분의 1
Norwegian: fjerdedel
Polish: ćwierć
European Portuguese: quarta parte
Romanian: sfert
Russian: четверть
Latin American Spanish: cuarto
Swedish: kvart
Thai: เศษหนึ่งส่วนสี่
Turkish: çeyrek
Ukrainian: чверть
Vietnamese: một phần tư
British English: quarter VERB
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.
American English: quarter
Brazilian Portuguese: dividir em quatro
Chinese: 把…切成4等份
European Spanish: dividir en cuartos
French: couper en quatre
German: vierteln
Italian: dividere in quattro
Japanese: 4つに分ける
Korean: 4등분하다
European Portuguese: dividir em quatro
Latin American Spanish: dividir en cuartos
All related terms of 'quarter'
cry quarter
to beg for mercy
no quarter
If you say that someone was given no quarter , you mean that they were not treated kindly by someone who had power or control over them.
quarter day
any of four days in the year when certain payments become due . In England, Wales , and Northern Ireland these are Lady Day, Midsummer's Day, Michaelmas , and Christmas . In Scotland they are Candlemas , Whit Sunday , Lammas , and Martinmas
black quarter
a person who acts against the interests of a trade union, as by continuing to work during a strike or taking over a striker's job
Empty Quarter
a desert in S Arabia , mainly in Saudi Arabia, extending southeast from Nejd to Hadramaut and northeast from Yemen to the United Arab Emirates . Area: about 777 000 sq km (300 000 sq miles)
first quarter
one of the four principal phases of the moon , occurring between new moon and full moon, when half of the lighted surface is visible
last quarter
one of the four principal phases of the moon , occurring between full moon and new moon, when half the lighted surface is visible
Latin Quarter
an area of Paris , on the S bank of the River Seine : contains the city's main educational establishments ; centre for students and artists
quarter-bound
(of a book) having a binding consisting of two types of material, the better type being used on the spine
quarter crack
a sand crack on the inside of the forefoot of a horse
quarter-final
A quarter-final is one of the four matches in a competition which decides which four players or teams will compete in the semi-final.
quarter grain
the grain of quartersawn timber
quarter horse
a small powerful breed of horse, originally bred for sprinting in quarter-mile races in Virginia in the late 18th century
quarter-hour
a period of 15 minutes
quarter mile
an event in which competitors run a quarter mile or 400 metres
quarter-miler
an athlete who specializes in running the quarter mile or the 400 metres
quarter note
A quarter note is a musical note that has a time value equal to two eighth notes.
a unit of weight equal to a quarter of a pound or 4 ounces avoirdupois
quarter round
a convex decorative molding, in cross section a quarter of a circle
quarter tone
a quarter of a whole tone ; a pitch interval corresponding to 50 cents measured on the well-tempered scale
quarter turn
a turn of 90°
three-quarter
You can use three-quarter to describe something which is three fourths of the usual size or three fourths of a standard measurement .
quarter century
a period of twenty five years
quarter-pounder
A quarter pounder is a hamburger that weighs four ounces before it is cooked. Four ounces is a quarter of a pound .
quarter section
a land measure, used in surveying , with sides half a mile long; 160 acres
quarter window
(on a car) a small triangular side window with hinges that can be opened for extra ventilation
quarter-finalist
A quarter-finalist is a person or team that is competing in a quarter-final.
quarter sessions
(in England and Wales , formerly) a criminal court held four times a year before justices of the peace or a recorder , empowered to try all but the most serious offences and to hear appeals from petty sessions . Replaced in 1972 by crown courts
draw and quarter
to disembowel and dismember (a person) after hanging
three-quarter time
a form of simple triple time in which there are three crotchet beats to the bar, indicated by the time signature 3 4
wing three-quarter
a player stationed on the wing
centre three-quarter
either of two middle players on the three-quarter line
three-quarter binding
a bookbinding style in which the spine and much of the sides are in a different material (esp leather ) from the rest of the covers
three-quarter nelson
a hold in which a wrestler, from a kneeling position behind a prone opponent , applies a half nelson with one arm, passes the other arm under the opponent's body on the near side, and locks the arms at the fingers or wrist on the back of the opponent's neck
blackleg
a person who acts against the interests of a trade union , as by continuing to work during a strike or taking over a striker's job
blacklegged
a person who acts against the interests of a trade union, as by continuing to work during a strike or taking over a striker's job
blacklegging
a person who acts against the interests of a trade union, as by continuing to work during a strike or taking over a striker's job
crotchet
A crotchet is a musical note that has a time value equal to two quavers .
ovoli
a convex moulding having a cross section in the form of a quarter of a circle or ellipse
ovolo
a convex moulding having a cross section in the form of a quarter of a circle or ellipse
sand crack
a deep crack or fissure in the wall of a horse's hoof , often causing lameness
three-four time
a form of simple triple time in which there are three crotchet beats to the bar, indicated by the time signature 3 4