quarter section

noun Western U.S.

(in surveying and homesteading) a square tract of land, half a mile on each side, thus containing ¼ sq. mi. or 160 acres. Abbreviation: q.s.

QUIZZES

Discover The Influence Of Portuguese On English Via This Quiz!

We’ve gathered some interesting words donated to English from Portuguese … as well as some that just don’t translate at all. Do you know what they mean?

Question 1 of 11

Which of the following animal names traces its immediate origin to Portuguese?

owl

crow

piranha

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Words nearby quarter section

quarter note, quarter plate, quarter point, quarter rest, quarter round, quarter section, quarter sessions, quarter tone, quarter-bound, quarter-breed, quarter-hoop

Origin of quarter section

An Americanism dating back to 1795–1805

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for quarter section

He sat in a big home-made easy chair, which Silas had constructed for him by sawing a quarter-section out of a hogshead.
The Kindred of the Wild|Charles G. D. Roberts
"But we only hold a quarter-section of land," replied the boy in his bewilderment.
Wells Brothers|Andy Adams
Sanders, it appeared, had bought a quarter-section of land not far from the stream, and had now come to occupy it.
Justin Wingate, Ranchman|John H. Whitson
Are you going to quit the peddling and take up a quarter-section with the girl?
A Prairie Courtship|Harold Bindloss

Therefore, it was in the beginning the Republican party declared for free homes of a quarter-section each.
Speeches of Benjamin Harrison|Benjamin Harrison

British Dictionary definitions for quarter section

quarter section

noun

US and Canadian a land measure, used in surveying, with sides half a mile long; 160 acres

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