quarter /kwörˈtər/

1. A fourth part
2. A 25-cent piece, 25 cents, quarter of a dollar (N American)
3. The fourth part of an hour, of the year, of the moon's period (or the moon's position at the end of it), of the world, etc
4. One of the four periods of play into which certain games are divided
5. The fourth part of a cwt = 28 (or in US 25) lb avoirdupois
6. 8 bushels (perh orig a fourth of a ton of corn)
7. (also quarter-pound) a quarter of a pound, 4oz (informal)
8. A cardinal point, or any point, of the compass
9. The region about any point of the compass
10. A region generally
11. A town district inhabited by a particular class
12. An unspecified person or group regarded as a source of information, support, etc
13. A part of an army, camp, etc (Shakespeare)
14. (usu in pl) lodging, esp for soldiers
15. An assigned station or position
16. Terms, relations, treatment, esp favourable (Shakespeare)
17. Mercy granted to an antagonist (perh from sending to quarters)
18. The part of a ship's side to the rear of its widest point
19. A limb with adjacent parts of the trunk, esp (historical) of the dismembered body of an executed person, or of an animal carcass
20. A haunch of a live animal
21. Each of the two pieces on a boot or shoe from the centre of the heel to the vamp
22. Each side of a horse's hoof
23. One of the four parts of a quartered shield (heraldry)
24. An ordinary occupying one-fourth of the field (heraldry)
25. A quartering (heraldry)

1. To divide into four equal or nearly equal parts
2. To dismember (the body of a traitor, etc) (historical)
3. To divide into parts or compartments
4. To station, lodge or put in quarters
5. To bear, place or divide quarterly (heraldry)
6. (esp of dogs) to range for game, to search thoroughly

1. To be stationed
2. To lodge
3. (of a dog) to range for game
4. To drive a carriage or cart with the wheels between the ruts, or the horse(s) astride a rut
5. To drive to the side of the road, or from side to side
6. (of the wind) to blow onto a ship's quarter

1. (denoting adjectivally) one-fourth part (of)
2. (denoting adverbially) to the extent of one-fourth

quarˈterage noun

1. A quarterly payment
2. Quarters, lodging

quarˈtered adjective

quarˈtering adjective

1. (of a ship) sailing nearly before the wind
2. (of a wind) striking on the quarter of a ship

1. Assignment of quarters
2. A series of small upright posts for forming partitions, lathed and plastered only, or boarded also (architecture)
3. The division of a coat by horizontal and vertical lines (heraldry)
4. One of the divisions so formed
5. The marshalling of coats in these divisions, indicating family alliances
6. Any one of the coats so marshalled

quarˈterly adjective

1. Relating to a quarter, esp of a year
2. Recurring, or published, once a quarter
3. Divided into or marshalled in quarters (heraldry)

1. Once a quarter
2. In quarters or quarterings (heraldry)

A quarterly periodical

quartˈerback noun (American football)

The player between the linemen and the halfbacks, who directs the attacking play of the team

quarˈter-binding noun

A type of bookbinding in which the spine and a small part of the sides are covered with a different material than the rest of the book

quarˈter-blood noun

A person of one-quarter Native American descent

quarˈter-bound adjective

Bound using quarter-binding

quarˈter-boy or quarˈter-jack noun

An automaton that strikes the quarter-hours

quarˈter-bred adjective

(of horses, cattle, etc) having only one-fourth pure blood

quarter day noun

The day on each of the year's quarters on which rent or interest is due to be paid

quarˈterdeck noun

The part of the deck of a ship abaft the mainmast, used by cabin passengers and by superior officers (and saluted on warships)

quarˈterdecker noun (naval sl)

A stickler for naval etiquette

• bastard files
• bastard hartebeest
• bastardies
• bastardisation
• bastardisations
• bastardise
• bastardised
• bastardises
• bastardising
• bastardism
• bastardisms
• bastardization
• bastardizations
• bastardize
• bastardized
• bastardizes
• bastardizing
• bastardly
• bastard pimpernel
• bastards
• bastard saffron
• bastard teak
• bastard title
• bastard titles
• bastard types