quadr-

American  

1. variant of quadri- before a vowel.

   quadrennial.

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quadr- British  

combining form

1. a variant of quadri-

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Usage

What does quadr- mean? Quadr- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “four.” It is used in a great variety of technical and scientific terms. Quadr- comes from the Latin quattuor, meaning “four.” The Greek equivalent is tetra-, which also appears as tetr-, as in tetrahedron. Want to know more? Check out our Words That Use entries for tetr- and tetra-. What are variants of quadr-?Quadr- is a variant of quadri-, which loses its -i- when combined with words or word elements beginning with vowels. In other instances, quadr- becomes quadra-, as in quadraphony. Before some labial consonants (such as -p- or -f-), quadr- becomes quadru-, as in quadruplex, which uses the Latin equivalent of the form. Want to learn more? Check out our Words That Use entries for quadra-, quadri-, and quadru-.