quarter

/ˈk(w)ɔːtə/

More pronunciations (1)Fewer pronunciations

Australia/ˈk(w)oːtə/

quarter noun: each of four equal parts into which something can be divided; a fourth part.

Image: United States Mint, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Noun

quarter (countable and uncountable, plural quarters)

(broadly) Each of four equal parts into which something can be divided; a fourth part.
- I ate a quarter of the pizza.
- A majority of companies in the S&P 500 have at least one woman on their boards, but only about a quarter have more than two, according to a study from PwC.2018 September 30, Julia Carpenter and Jackie Wattles, “California has a new law: No more all-male boards”, in CNN Business
Synonyms:

fourth, fourth part, one-fourth, one-quarter, ¼
(historical) A measure of capacity used chiefly for grain or coal, varying greatly in quantity by time and location.
- One of these is 1 Hen. V, cap. 10, defining the quarter of corn to be eight struck bushels, and putting fines on purveyors who take more.1882, James Edwin Thorold Rogers, A History of Agriculture and Prices in England, volume 4, page 204
A fourth part of a pound; approximately 113 grams.
(historical) A measure of length; originally a fourth part of an ell, now chiefly a fourth part of a yard.
(historical) A fourth part of the night; one of the watches or divisions of the night.
- And aboute the fourth quartre of the nyght, he cam unto them, walkinge apon the see [...].1526, [William Tyndale, transl.], The Newe Testamẽt […] (Tyndale Bible), [Worms, Germany: Peter Schöffer], →OCLC, Mark vj:[48]
A fourth part of the year; 3 months; a term or season.
- The FBI began publishing national quarterly crime reports last year, but has not done so for the first two quarters of 2021, stating that they require at least 60% of agencies to submit NIBRS data in order to publish quarterly data.2021 September 27, Priya Krishnakumar, “Murders rose sharply in 2020 but data is lacking across much of the country”, in CNN
- The Shanghai-based company reported Wednesday that net profit soared 246% to 28 billion yuan ($3.9 billion) in the first quarter of 2024, more than double the average analyst estimate of 12.62 billion yuan ($1.7 billion), according to LSEG data.2024 May 23, Laura He, “Bargain-hungry Americans are flocking to Temu and making its Chinese owner very rich”, in CNN Business
A fourth part of an hour; a period of fifteen minutes, especially with reference to the quarter before or after the hour.
- An interesting feature of the church is the invisible clock, which you can hear thumping away as you enter. Constructed in 1525, it is one of the oldest timepieces in England. It chimes the hours and the quarters, and every three hours it plays a hymn. But it has no faces.1980, AA Book of British Villages, Drive Publications Ltd, page 163
(historical) A fourth part of a hundredweight.
A fourth part of a coat of arms, or the charge on it, larger than a canton and normally on the upper dexter side, formed by a perpendicular line from the top meeting a horizontal line from the side.
(Canada, US) A quarter-dollar, divided into 25 cents; the coin of that value minted in the United States or Canada.

Synonyms:

two bits
One of four equal periods into which a game is divided.
(historical, Chester) A quarter of an acre or 40 roods.

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A region or place.
- I am to haste, / And all who under me thir Banners wave, / Homeward with flying march where we possess / The Quarters of the North […].1667, John Milton, “(please specify the page number)”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker...
Each of four parts into which the earth or sky is divided, corresponding to the four cardinal points of the compass.
A division or section of a town or city, especially having a particular character of its own, or associated with a particular group etc.
- She could not suggest in what quarter of London the shop in question was likely to be as the deceased was accustomed to go about a good deal.1927, Ernest Bramah [pseudonym; Ernest Brammah Smith], Max Carrados Mysteries
Synonyms:

district, ward, neighborhood, ghetto, borough, capitoulate
One's residence or dwelling-place; (in plural) rooms, lodgings, especially as allocated to soldiers or domestic staff.
(archaic, figuratively) A topic or area of endeavour.
- “I'll tell you something, too,” retorted the captain, duskily flushing. “I wouldn't sail this ship for the man you are, if you went upon your knees. I've dealt with gentlemen up to now.”
  “I can tell you the names of a number of gentlemen you'll never deal with any more, and that's the whole of...1892, Robert Louis Stevenson, chapter 10, in The Wrecker
The aftmost part of a vessel's side, roughly from the last mast to the stern.
- I was one morning walking the deck, when Rogers, whose watch it was, sitting upon the quarter, called to me in his usual style, ‘Come here, Bill.’1808–10, William Hickey, Memoirs of a Georgian Rake, Folio Society 1995, p. 80
- “My men, the schooner coming up on our weather quarter is a Portuguese pirate.”1863, Charles Reade, Hard Cash
The part on either side of a horse's hoof between the toe and heel, the side of its coffin.
- [A]t last she kicked right over the carriage pole and fell down, after giving me a severe blow on my near quarter.[1877], Anna Sewell, “A Strike for Liberty”, in Black Beauty: […], London: Jarrold and Sons, […], →OCLC, part II, page 106
The back and sides of the upper of a shoe, extending around the wearer's heel to meet the vamp.
(often, plural) A section (of a population), especially one having a particular set of values or interests.
- We got help form every quarter.
- opposition to the policy came from an unexpected quarter, as well as from certain quarters which had historically opposed it
(obsolete) Relations between people.
- In quarter, and in terms like bride and groom.c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Othello, the Moore of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac...
- I knew two that were competitors for the secretary's place, […] and yet kept good quarter between themselves.1625, Francis [Bacon], “Of Cunning”, in The Essayes […], 3rd edition, London: […] Iohn Haviland for Hanna Barret, →OCLC
Accommodation given to a defeated opponent; mercy; exemption from being killed.
- Hard fighting and long labour they had still; for the Southrons were bold men and grim, and fierce in despair, and the Easterlings were strong and war-hardened and asked for no quarter.1955, J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King, page 1110
(abbreviation, archaic) A quarterback.
(abbreviation, archaic, slang) A quartermaster; a quartermaster sergeant.
- Tietjens said: ‘Send the Canadian sergeant-major to me at the double….’ to the quarter.1925, Ford Madox Ford, “Parade's End”, in No More Parades, Penguin, published 2012, page 360
(abbreviation) A quarterfinal.

Adjective

quarter (not comparable)

Pertaining to an aspect of a quarter.
Consisting of a fourth part, a quarter (¹⁄₄, 25%).
- a quarter hour; a quarter century; a quarter note; a quarter pound
Related to a three-month term, a quarter of a year.
- A quarter day is one terminating a quarter of the year.
- A quarter session is one held quarterly at the end of a quarter.

Verb (1)

quarter (third-person singular simple present quarters, present participle quartering, simple past and past participle quartered)

(transitive) To divide into quarters; to divide by four.
(transitive) To provide housing for (usually military personnel or equipment).
- Quarter the horses in the third stable.
- I thought that I might as well quarter myself on you for a couple of days.1923, Ernest Bramah [pseudonym; Ernest Brammah Smith], “(please specify the page)”, in The Eyes of Max Carrados, London: Grant Richards, →OCLC
(intransitive) To lodge; to have a temporary residence.

Synonyms:

stay over
(transitive) To quartersaw.
- But there is, as in other woods, a great deal of difference between this and the quartered timber.1758, Thomas Hale, A Compleat Body Of Husbandry, page 333
(historical, transitive) To execute (someone) by tying each limb to a different animal (such as a horse) and driving them in different directions.
To display different coats of arms in the quarters of a shield.
- It [the Central London Railway] assumed a modest and entirely heraldic device, quartering the arms of the City of London, the parishes of St. George's, Holborn (St. George and the dragon) and St. Marylebone (the Virgin and Child between two lilies […]), and the county of Middlesex, surmounted by...1950 June, Michael Robbins, “Heraldry of London Underground Railways”, in Railway Magazine, page 382
(transitive) To range to and fro over an area; to move from point to point.

Verb (2)

quarter (third-person singular simple present quarters, present participle quartering, simple past and past participle quartered)

(obsolete) To drive a carriage so as to prevent the wheels from going into the ruts, or so that a rut shall be between the wheels.
- Every creature that met us would rely upon us for quartering1821 September–October, [Thomas De Quincey], “(please specify the page)”, in Confessions of an English Opium-Eater, 2nd edition, London: […] [J. Moyes] for Taylor and Hessey, […], published 1823...

Proper noun capitalized: Quarter

Quarter

A village in South Lanarkshire council area, Scotland (OS grid ref NS7251).

quarter meaning in Hindi, Tamil, Marathi and Urdu

quarter in Hindi

period of three months: तिमाही timāhī, फसल phasal, त्रैमासिक traimāsik
one of four equal parts — see also one-fourth: चौथाई cauthāī
coin worth 25 cents: पावली pāvlī, चवन्नी cavannī
section of a town: मुहल्ला muhallā

quarter in Tamil

one of four equal parts — see also one-fourth: கால் kāl
section of a town: பேட்டை pēṭṭai, பகுதி pakuti

quarter in Marathi

चतुर्थांश

quarter in Urdu

چوتھائی, پوا, چہارم, چوتھا حصہ, محلہ, پاؤ

More languagesFewer languages

quarter in Bengali: সিকি, পাদ, এলাকা, একচতুর্থাংশ
quarter in Telugu: త్రైమాసికం traimāsikaṁ, పావు భాగం pāvu bhāgaṁ, నాలుగో వంతు nālugō vantu
quarter in Malayalam: കാല് kāl
quarter in Kannada: ಕಾಲು, ಪಾದ, ಚತುರ್ಥಾಂಶ, ನಾಲ್ಕನೆಯ ಒಂದು ಭಾಗ
quarter in Punjabi: ਕੁਆਰਟਰ, ਚੌਥਾਈ
quarter in Gujarati: ક્વાર્ટર, ચતુર્થાંશ
quarter in Odia: ଚଉଠ cauṭha, ପାଖ pākha, ପାଦ pāda
quarter in Sanskrit: तुरीय turīya, दिश् díś, ट ṭa, उद्देश uddeśa
quarter in Nepali: क्वाटर, क्वार्टर
quarter in Arabic: رُبُع rubuʕ, حَارَة ḥāra
quarter in Malay: suku, perempat
quarter in Indonesian: kuartal, triwulan, trimester, perempat
quarter in Persian: فصل fasl, سهماهه se-mâhe, چارک čârak, ربع rob'
quarter in Thai: ไตรมาส dtrai-mâat, เสี้ยว sîao, หนึ่งในสี่ nʉng-nai-sìi, หนึ่งส่วนสี่ nʉng-sùuan-sìi
quarter in Vietnamese: phần tư
quarter in Myanmar: မတ် mat

Examples of quarter in a sentence

all quarters of the socialist movement; praise from Conservative quarters
She took heavy fire from all quarters.
It is something to have that sacerdotal position so frankly recognized; but, I repeat, the ground of objection is an extraordinary one, coming as it does from a Liberal quarter in politics.1897, National and English Review, page 499:
Gene Robinson's installation as an Episcopal bishop was greeted largely by silence from gay quarters.2003, The Advocate, page 44:
[…] and principled criticism of Obama from black quarters.2016, Michael Eric Dyson, The Black Presidency: Barack Obama and the Politics of Race in America, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, →ISBN:
It [the Central London Railway] assumed a modest and entirely heraldic device, quartering the arms of the City of London, the parishes of St.1950 June, Michael Robbins, “Heraldry of London Underground Railways”, in Railway Magazine, page 382:

All 40 example sentences with quarter

Synonyms of quarter

6 more synonymsFewer synonyms

Antonyms

quadruple

All synonyms and antonyms of quarter

Forms of quarter

Noun
plural	quarters
Verb
third-person singular present	quarters
present participle	quartering
past participle	quartered
past	quartered

Past tense of quarter: quartered

Plural of quarter: quarters

Origin of quarter

From Middle English quarter, from Anglo-Norman quarter, from Latin quartarius, from quartus. Compare Spanish cuarto (“room, quarters; quarter”). Doublet of quartier.

Borrowed from French cartayer.

Words formed from quarter

Phrases with quarter

65 more phrasesFewer phrases

Words that rhyme with quarter

1 more rhymesFewer rhymes

importer

Questions about quarter

What does quarter mean?: Quarter means each of four equal parts into which something can be divided; a fourth part.
What is quarter in Hindi?: Quarter in Hindi is तिमाही (timāhī), फसल (phasal), त्रैमासिक (traimāsik). See Quarter meaning in Hindi.
How do you use quarter in a sentence?: all quarters of the socialist movement; praise from Conservative quarters
What part of speech is quarter?: Quarter can be a noun, an adjective, a verb or a proper noun.
How do you pronounce quarter?: Quarter is pronounced /ˈk(w)ɔːtə/ (UK).
What is the plural of quarter?: The plural of quarter is quarters.

Words near quarter in the dictionary

Adapted from Wiktionary: quarter (page history and authors); Quarter (page history and authors); quarter (Marathi, IndicTrans2 machine translation) (model and license); quarter (Urdu Wiktionary) (page history and authors); quarter (Bengali Wiktionary) (page history and authors); quarter (Kannada Wiktionary) (page history and authors); quarter (Punjabi, IndicTrans2 machine translation) (model and license); quarter (Gujarati, IndicTrans2 machine translation) (model and license); ଚଉଠ (Odia) (page history and authors); उद्देश (Sanskrit) (page history and authors); quarter (Nepali, IndicTrans2 machine translation) (model and license). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

Last updated: 2026-09-02

Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: LL-Q1860 (eng)-I learned some phrases-quarter.wav, en-us-quarter.ogg.

Cite this entry: “quarter.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/quarter. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.