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.
The visitors tore out of the blocks at Stade Jean-Bouin as Said hit the post and Florian Thauvin had a goal disallowed for offside inside the opening quarter-hour.
From Barron's ● Feb. 14, 2026
Before the quarter-hour mark, that plan was out the window with Arsenal three goals to the good and Wilder already making changes to his team's shape and personnel.
From BBC ● Mar. 4, 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
A quarter-hour passed as I watched it complete its circuit of the fire.
From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss
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