quarter-hour
Americannoun
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a period of 15 minutes.
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a point 15 minutes after or before the hour.
noun
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a period of 15 minutes
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any of the points on the face of a timepiece that mark 15 minutes before or after the hour, and sometimes 30 minutes after
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of quarter-hour
First recorded in 1880–85
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.
The visitors tore out of the blocks at Stade Jean-Bouin as Said hit the post and Florian Thauvin had a goal disallowed for offside inside the opening quarter-hour.
From Barron's • Feb. 14, 2026
He understands the challenge of keeping viewers hooked from one topic to the next, telling reporters last week that he studies the quarter-hour Nielsen ratings of “First Take” to see what segments work.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 6, 2024
Before the quarter-hour mark, that plan was out the window with Arsenal three goals to the good and Wilder already making changes to his team's shape and personnel.
From BBC • Mar. 4, 2024
Midway through the corridor, the procession is interrupted by a set of screens that every quarter-hour plays a 3-minute video work showing the movements of dancers wearing the tiled Soundsuits on adjacent walls.
From New York Times • May 16, 2022
A quarter-hour passed as I watched it complete its circuit of the fire.
From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss
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.
