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first quarter

American

noun

Astronomy.

the instant, approximately one week after a new moon, when one half of the moon's disk is illuminated by the sun.

first quarter British

noun

one of the four principal phases of the moon, occurring between new moon and full moon, when half of the lighted surface is visible from earth Compare last quarter

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of first quarter

First recorded in 1905–10

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.

Cox Automotive forecasts a 0.1 percent dip in Toyota's auto sales in the first quarter.

From Barron's • Apr. 1, 2026

The increase in sales also bodes well for gross domestic product in the first quarter.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 1, 2026

Investors asked to pull the equivalent of 14% of its biggest fund in the first quarter.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

Wall Street is expecting about 366,000 vehicles sold in the first quarter, up from 337,000 a year ago.

From Barron's • Apr. 1, 2026

They spent the first quarter hour of their walk gloating.

From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023