释义 |
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2024quar•ter /ˈkwɔrtɚ/USA pronunciation n., - one of the four equal or sometimes approximately equal parts into which something is or may be divided:[countable]a quarter of a pound.
- Currency[countable] one fourth of a U.S. or Canadian dollar, equivalent to 25 cents.
- Currency[countable] a coin of this value.
- [countable] one fourth of an hour;
15 minutes. - one fourth of a calendar or of a year in business:[countable]Unemployment rose in the last quarter.
- Education[countable] a term of instruction at a school or college lasting about one fourth of the school year.
- Sport[countable] any of the four equal periods of play in certain games, such as football and basketball.
- a region occupied by a particular group:[countable]the student quarter of Paris.
- Usually, quarters. [plural] housing accommodations;
a place to live or stay; lodgings. - Often, quarters. [plural] an unnamed person or group:In some quarters your actions would be viewed as treason.
- mercy:[uncountable]to give no quarter to an enemy.
v. [~ + object] - to divide into four equal or approximately equal parts.
- to cut the body of (a person) into quarters, esp. after executing for treason.
- to give to or provide (someone) with a place to stay:soldiers quartered in barracks.
adj. [before a noun] - being one of four equal or approximately equal parts:a quarter century.
- Weights and Measuresbeing equal to one fourth of the full measure:a quarter pound.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2024quar•ter (kwôr′tər),USA pronunciation n. - one of the four equal or equivalent parts into which anything is or may be divided:a quarter of an apple; a quarter of a book.
- a fourth part, esp. of one (¼).
- Currencyone fourth of a U.S. or Canadian dollar, equivalent to 25 cents.
- Currencya coin of this value.
- one fourth of an hour:He stayed there for an hour and a quarter.
- the moment marking this period:The clock struck the quarter.
- one fourth of a calendar or fiscal year:The bank sends out a statement each quarter.
- Astronomy
- a fourth of the moon's period or monthly revolution, being that portion of its period or orbital course between a quadrature and a syzygy.
- either quadrature of the moon. Cf. first quarter, last quarter.
- (in schools, colleges, and universities) one of the terms or periods into which instruction is organized, generally 10 to 12 weeks in length.
- Sportany of the four periods that make up certain games, as football and basketball. Cf. half (def. 3).
- Weights and Measuresone fourth of a pound.
- Weights and Measuresone fourth of a mile;
two furlongs. - Weights and Measuresone fourth of a yard;
9 inches. - Weights and Measuresa unit of weight: one fourth of a hundredweight. In the U.S. this equals 25 lbs. and in Britain 28 lbs.
- Weights and Measures, British Terms[Brit.]a measure of capacity for grain, etc., equal to 8 bushels, or, locally, to approximately this.
- Naval Termsthe region of any of the four principal points of the compass or divisions of the horizon.
- Naval Termssuch a point or division.
- Naval Termsany point or direction of the compass:The wind is blowing in thatquarter.
- a region, district, or place.
- a particular district of a city or town, esp. one generally occupied by a particular group of people:the Turkish quarter; an artists' quarter.
- Usually, quarters.
- housing accommodations, as a place of residence;
lodgings. - Militarythe buildings, houses, barracks, or rooms occupied by military personnel or their families.
- Often, quarters. an unspecified part or member of a community, government, etc., that serves as a source of information or authority:He received secret information from a high quarter.
- mercy or indulgence, esp. as shown in sparing the life and accepting the surrender of a vanquished enemy:to give quarter; to ask for quarter.
- Zoologyone of the four parts, each including a leg, of the body or carcass of a quadruped.
- Veterinary Diseasesthe part of a horse's hoof between heel and toe.
- Clothing[Shoemaking.]the part of a boot or shoe on each side of the foot, from the middle of the back to the vamp.
- Naval Terms[Naut.]
- , Naval Terms, Nauticalthe after part of a ship's side, usually from about the aftermost mast to the stern.
- , Naval Terms, Nauticalthe general horizontal direction 45° from the stern of a ship on either side:Another boat is coming near on the port quarter.
- , Naval Terms, Nauticalone of the stations to which crew members are called for battle, emergencies, or drills.
- , Naval Terms, Nauticalthe part of a yard between the slings and the yardarm.
- Naval TermsSee quarter point.
- Heraldry
- any of the four equal areas into which an escutcheon may be divided by a vertical and a horizontal line passing through the center.
- any of the variously numbered areas into which an escutcheon may be divided for the marshaling of different arms.
- any of the arms marshaled on an escutcheon.
- a charge occupying one quarter of an escutcheon, esp. that in dexter chief. Cf. canton (def. 3).
- Weights and Measureseach half of a cask, consisting of the portion from the bilge to the top chime and the portion from the bilge to the bottom chime.
v.t. - to divide into four equal or equivalent parts.
- to divide into parts fewer or more than four:Quarter the pie into six pieces.
- to cut the body of (a person) into quarters, esp. in executing for treason or the like.
- Mechanical Engineering[Mach.]to make holes in, fix, etc., a quarter of a circle apart.
- to furnish with lodging in a particular place.
- to impose (soldiers) on persons, towns, etc., to be lodged and fed:He quartered his men with the farmer.
- to assign to a particular place for service, action, etc., as on a battleship.
- to traverse (the ground) from left to right and right to left while advancing, as dogs in search of game.
- Heraldry
- to divide (an escutcheon) into four or more parts.
- to place or bear quarterly (different coats of arms, etc.) on an escutcheon.
- to display (a coat of arms) with one's own on an escutcheon.
v.i. - to take up, or be in quarters;
lodge:to quarter in a cheap hotel. - to range to and fro, as dogs in search of game.
- Nautical, Naval Termsto sail so as to have the wind or sea on the quarter.
adj. - being one of four equal or approximately equal parts into which anything is or may be divided.
- Weights and Measuresbeing equal to only about one fourth of the full measure.
- Latin quartārius, equivalent. to quart(us) fourth + -ārius -ary; (verb, verbal) Middle English quarteren, derivative of the noun, nominal
- Anglo-French; Old French quartier
- (noun, nominal) Middle English 1250–1300
quar′ter•er, n. |