quarters
Britishplural noun
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housing or accommodation, esp as provided for military personnel and their families
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the stations assigned to military personnel, esp to each crew member of a warship
general quarters
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(in India) housing provided by an employer or by the government
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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
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The Lion of Mars
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Three Keys
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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.
While working his way back home, he’s forced to outsmart a vicious beast at close quarters, and he takes up residence with a suitor.
From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026
The Bank of Canada last month projected second-quarter growth of 2.5% annualized, or a sharp rebound following two consecutive quarters of slightly negative growth.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
At the time, the streamer was under pressure by investors to diversify its content to attract more customers, after experiencing two quarters of subscriber losses in 2022.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
"Even in peacetime conditions, the quarters are cramped, the workdays are long, the food is not great, and it's difficult to get fresh air, exercise and even a decent night's sleep," Schroden said.
From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026
She dug in her purse and brought out four quarters, which she slipped into his hand.
From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu
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.
