one of the four equal or equivalent parts into which anything is or may be divided: a quarter of an apple; a quarter of a book.
a fourth part, especially of one (¼).
one fourth of a U.S. or Canadian dollar, equivalent to 25 cents.
a coin of this value.
one fourth of an hour: He stayed there for an hour and a quarter.
the moment marking this period: The clock struck the quarter.
one fourth of a calendar or fiscal year: The bank sends out a statement each quarter.
Astronomy. - a fourth of the moon's period or monthly revolution, being that portion of its period or orbital course between a quadrature and a syzygy.
- either quadrature of the moon.Compare first quarter, last quarter.
(in schools, colleges, and universities) one of the terms or periods into which instruction is organized, generally 10 to 12 weeks in length.
Sports. any of the four periods that make up certain games, as football and basketball.Compare half(def 3). one fourth of a pound.
one fourth of a mile; two furlongs.
one fourth of a yard; 9 inches.
a unit of weight: one fourth of a hundredweight. In the U.S. this equals 25 pounds and in Britain 28 pounds.
British. a measure of capacity for grain, etc., equal to 8 bushels, or, locally, to approximately this.
the region of any of the four principal points of the compass or divisions of the horizon.
such a point or division.
any point or direction of the compass: The wind is blowing in that quarter.
a region, district, or place.
a particular district of a city or town, especially one generally occupied by a particular group of people: the Turkish quarter; an artists' quarter.
Usually quarters. - housing accommodations, as a place of residence; lodgings.
- Military. the buildings, houses, barracks, or rooms occupied by military personnel or their families.
Often quarters. an unspecified part or member of a community, government, etc., that serves as a source of information or authority: He received secret information from a high quarter.
mercy or indulgence, especially as shown in sparing the life and accepting the surrender of a vanquished enemy: to give quarter; to ask for quarter.
one of the four parts, each including a leg, of the body or carcass of a quadruped.
Veterinary Medicine. the part of a horse's hoof between heel and toe.
Shoemaking. the part of a boot or shoe on each side of the foot, from the middle of the back to the vamp.
Nautical. - the after part of a ship's side, usually from about the aftermost mast to the stern.
- the general horizontal direction 45° from the stern of a ship on either side: Another boat is coming near on the port quarter.
- one of the stations to which crew members are called for battle, emergencies, or drills.
- the part of a yard between the slings and the yardarm.
- quarter point.
Heraldry. - any of the four equal areas into which an escutcheon may be divided by a vertical and a horizontal line passing through the center.
- any of the variously numbered areas into which an escutcheon may be divided for the marshaling of different arms.
- any of the arms marshaled on an escutcheon.
- a charge occupying one quarter of an escutcheon, especially that in dexter chief.Compare canton(def 3).
each half of a cask, consisting of the portion from the bilge to the top chime and the portion from the bilge to the bottom chime.
