quarters
Britishplural noun
-
housing or accommodation, esp as provided for military personnel and their families
-
the stations assigned to military personnel, esp to each crew member of a warship
general quarters
-
(in India) housing provided by an employer or by the government
-
slang (functioning as singular) military short for quartermaster
Explanation
A place for people to live, especially if they're in the military, can be called quarters. If you join the Army, your quarters might be a dorm-like space that you share with many other people. You can use this word to mean "housing" generally, although it's most common for soldiers and servants to live in quarters. A wealthy family with maids and a butler who live in their house might set aside servants' quarters on the top floor, for example. During the period of slavery in the US, slaves also lived in quarters. If you and your brother live in "close quarters," it means the two of you share a fairly small room.
Vocabulary lists containing quarters
I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic, 1912
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The Lion of Mars
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Three Keys
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
Dell said it took the company eight quarters to amass 3,200 customers building AI data centers with its servers, including Elon Musk’s SpaceX.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
Investors should compare operating cash flow, capital spending and financing commitments over several quarters, allowing for the timing of construction and equipment purchases.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026
Anthropic also reportedly said that it’s been profitable on an adjusted basis for the past two quarters, and cash-flow positive for the past quarter.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 15, 2026
Anthropic's revenue has risen in successive quarters this year, from $4.7bn in the first three months to $11.6bn the following period.
From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026
Our family would stay in the living quarters atop their garage, and Jimmie and I would cook for Mr. and Mrs. Belcher, serve their meals, and drive them around town.
From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
