quarter

1 of 3

noun

quar·​ter ˈkwȯ(r)-tər How to pronounce quarter (audio)
also
ˈkȯ(r)- How to pronounce quarter (audio)
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: such 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
quarters plural, chiefly British : hindquarter sense 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 quartersCurrent Biography
(2)
: a point, direction, or place not definitely identified
the view to the rear quarterConsumer Reports
The oft-repeated Roman story is written in still legible characters in every quarter [=all over] of the Old World …Henry David Thoreau
8
a
: a division or district of a town or city
he describes the immigrant quarterAlfred Kazin
b
: the inhabitants of such a quarter
9
a
: an assigned station or post
b
quarters plural : an assembly of a ship's company for ceremony, drill, or emergency
c
quarters 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
: a fourth part of the moon's period
b
: a half-illuminated phase of the moon that occurs a quarter period after or before a new moon
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

quarter

2 of 3

verb

quartered; quartering; quarters

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 (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
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

quarter

3 of 3

adjective

: consisting of or equal to a quarter

Examples of quarter in a Sentence

Noun Cut the pie into quarters. an inch and a quarter a quarter of a cup of sugar He was three quarters of an hour early. Verb The hunters quartered the deer. We were quartered in log cabins at the camp. Adjective a quarter acre of land They live less than a quarter mile from us.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
That’s how much Americans spent on interest payments in the last quarter. Samanth Subramanian, Quartz, 9 Mar. 2024 Before the game, Lakers coach Darvin Ham said James was dealing with severe soreness in the ankle after he was forced to leave Wednesday’s game with Sacramento in the fourth quarter. Dan Woike, Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2024 Clark missed her first 11 three-pointers before finally connecting in the fourth quarter. CBS News, 9 Mar. 2024 New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch are possible. Haadiza Ogwude, The Enquirer, 8 Mar. 2024 Much of Milwaukee can expect to see between a quarter and a half inch of rain on Friday. Journal Sentinel, 8 Mar. 2024 After going scoreless in the first quarter, Fox scored eight points in the first 2:30 of the second quarter, fueling a 14-2 run that put Sacramento up 44-33. Jason Anderson, Sacramento Bee, 8 Mar. 2024 Lutheran was held scoreless for the final 2:30 of the second quarter. Matt Schubert, The Denver Post, 8 Mar. 2024 Golden State committed only three real turnovers in the first half, with a fourth being a meaningless Draymond Green hail mary pass in the waning seconds of the first quarter. Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 8 Mar. 2024
Verb
The German shepherds wouldn’t be quartered in the beach house; rather, the shabby but invaluable property would be sold, the proceeds going to an organization that had to be fraudulent, unlicensed, a figment of her father’s imagination. Joy Williams, The New Yorker, 8 Jan. 2024 Hunting knives need to be small enough to control for tasks like gutting and skinning and large enough for popping joints and quartering. Matthew Every, Field & Stream, 4 Jan. 2024 The double-decker club, quartered and speared, is served on Japanese milk bread with chicken katsu tucked inside, fervent and juicy in its panko crust. Ligaya Mishan, New York Times, 29 Nov. 2023 Ingredients 1 small head green cabbage, cored, quartered, and finely shredded 1 oz. Jonathan Miles, Field & Stream, 15 Nov. 2023 Images of the aircraft, which is being developed by Northrop Grumman, were posted to the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service website last week, showcasing the new bomber from both the front and from a quartering angle. Michael Lee, Fox News, 17 Sep. 2023 They can successfully be defrosted and easily quartered to use in these pies as well. Southern Living Test Kitchen, Southern Living, 9 Sep. 2023 This process is preferred by backcountry hunters who quarter their deer in the field, slip the meat into game bags, and pack it back to camp or their trucks. Natalie Krebs, Outdoor Life, 7 Sep. 2023 The Office of Vector Surveillance and Control is quartered on the 11th floor of the city’s Public Health Laboratory, a drab bastion of bureaucracy on First Avenue in Manhattan. Andy Newman, New York Times, 29 Aug. 2023
Adjective
Last week, ProPublica published a comprehensive investigation detailing Clarence Thomas’s quarter-century friendship with Harlan Crow, a billionaire mega-donor for conservative causes and Republican candidates. Matt Ford, The New Republic, 10 Apr. 2023 For larger fish, the 60- and 30-pound options weigh in half-ounce increments while the 15-pound will do quarter-ounce increments. Max Inchausti, Field & Stream, 10 Apr. 2023 The festival will celebrate its quarter century of operation by programming a selection of films that have not previously played in Udine, but which are among titles that inspired Italian interest in Asian contemporary cinema. Patrick Frater, Variety, 5 Apr. 2023 An annual robotics competition called the RoboCup was established more than a quarter-century ago. Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 4 Apr. 2023 Every bit of dirt that comes out of that site is actually sent through a quarter-inch mesh screen. Alexa Gagosz, BostonGlobe.com, 3 Apr. 2023 The ambitious program caps BMOP’s quarter-century celebration with three New York premieres commissioned, premiered and recorded by BMOP: the Grawemeyer Award-winning pieces Play by Andrew Norman and A Thousand Mountains, A Million Streams by Lei Liang and In medias res by Lisa Bielawa. Roger Sands, Forbes, 1 Apr. 2023 With launch control engaged, the M3 Competition xDrive arrives at 60 mph in a blistering 2.8 seconds and the quarter-mile passes in 11.0 seconds at 124 mph. Marc Urbano, Car and Driver, 31 Mar. 2023 If banks do pull back on lending in the coming months, that could slow the economy and possibly act as the equivalent of an additional quarter-point rate hike, Powell said. Christopher Rugaber, ajc, 22 Mar. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'quarter.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin quartarius, from quartus fourth

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of quarter was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near quarter

Cite this Entry

“Quarter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quarter. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

quarter

1 of 3 noun
quar·​ter ˈkwȯ(r)t-ər How to pronounce quarter (audio)
1
: one of four equal parts
2
: a unit (as of weight or length) that equals one fourth of some larger unit
3
a
: any of four 3-month divisions of a year
b
: a school term of about 12 weeks
c
: a coin worth a fourth of a dollar
d
: the sum of 25 cents
e
: one fourth part of a slaughtered animal including a leg
a quarter of beef
f
: a fourth part of the moon's period
a moon in its first quarter
g
: one of the four equal parts into which the playing time of some games is divided
4
: someone or something (as a place, direction, or group) not named
complaints came from all quarters
5
a
: a particular division or district of a city
b
: an assigned station especially of a member of a crew
call to quarters
c
plural : the place where one lives : lodging
6
: mercy sense 1a
show no quarter to the enemy

quarter

2 of 3 verb
1
a
: to divide into four equal parts
b
: to separate into parts
peel and quarter an orange
2
: to provide with lodging or shelter

quarter

3 of 3 adjective
: consisting of or equal to a quarter
Etymology

Noun

Middle English quarter "a fourth part," from early French quarter (same meaning), derived from Latin quartus "a fourth"

Medical Definition

quarter

noun
quar·​ter ˈkwȯ(r)t-ər How to pronounce quarter (audio)
1
: one limb of a quadruped with the adjacent parts
2
: one teat together with the part of a cow's udder that it drains
3
: the side of a horse's hoof between the toe and the heel

More from Merriam-Webster on quarter

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!