quarter-hour
Americannoun
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a period of 15 minutes.
-
a point 15 minutes after or before the hour.
noun
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a period of 15 minutes
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any of the points on the face of a timepiece that mark 15 minutes before or after the hour, and sometimes 30 minutes after
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of quarter-hour
First recorded in 1880–85
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Just before the quarter-hour mark, Schick had a golden chance to open the scoring with the goalkeeper beaten but blasted his effort directly at defender Karol Mets.
From Barron's • Feb. 3, 2026
He understands the challenge of keeping viewers hooked from one topic to the next, telling reporters last week that he studies the quarter-hour Nielsen ratings of “First Take” to see what segments work.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 6, 2024
After filming a 30-minute “Three Busy Debras” pilot in Los Angeles, produced by Poehler’s Paper Kite Productions for Adult Swim, the decision was made to shorten the series to a quarter-hour.
From Seattle Times • Apr. 19, 2022
Wiping up their splatter was the work of 20 seconds with a vinegar-soaked cloth, rather than the quarter-hour it would take to pull off the greasy hobs and scrub them in the sink.
From New York Times • Mar. 11, 2022
“It’s been a bit of a climb,” the man in black explained, “and I’m weary. I’ll be fine in a quarter-hour or so.”
From "The Princess Bride" by William Goldman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
