▪ I. quarter, n.
(ˈkwɔːtə(r))
Also 4 quartare, qwatteer, 4–6 quartre, 5 quartere, -yer, wharter, qwarter, 5–6 quartar, 6 qwartter, (7 coter).
[a. OF. quarter, -ier (12th c. in Littré):— L. quartār-ius a fourth part (of a measure), f. quartus fourth: see quart n.2 and -er2 2.]
I. One of four equal or corresponding parts into which anything is or may be divided.
1. a. Of things generally.
| 13.. Guy Warw. (A.) 1497 Gwichard smot Gij..Opon þe helme..Þat a quarter out fleye. c 1375 Sc. Leg. Saints xl. (Ninian) 737 Nere þe quartare of a myl. c 1400 Rom. Rose 3184 Non herte may thenke..A quarter of my wo and peyne. c 1470 Henry Wallace ix. 979 Than off the day thre quartaris was went. 1564 Child Marriages 124 About a quarter of a yere ago. 1599 Shakes. Hen. V, i. ii. 215 Diuide your happy England into foure, Whereof, take you one quarter into France. 1650 B. Discolliminium 49 And now I am 3 quarters Presbyterian, I keep one quarter still Independent. 1697 Dryden Virg. Georg. i. 349 The four quarters of the rolling year. 1796 H. Glasse Cookery 79 Garnish with a Seville orange cut in quarters. 1841 Q. Rev. LXVII. 358 Some quarter of a century ago. 1880 Geikie Phys. Geog. i. 29 Exactly a quarter of a circle, or 90°. |
b. Phr.
a bad (etc.) quarter of an hour [
tr. F.
un mauvais quart d'heure], a short but very unpleasant period of time.
Cf. mauvais quart d'heure.
| [1717 tr. Frezier's Voy. 110 Rablais's Quarter of an Hour, that is, when the Reckoning is to be paid.] [a 1851: see music n. 11.] 1875 Trollope Way we live Now II. lxii. 70 He was prepared..to console himself when the bad quarter of an hour should come with the remembrance that he had garnered up a store. 1887 J. Ball Nat. in S. Amer. 338 When I reached the station..I had an unpleasant quarter of an hour. 1897 W. E. Norris Marietta's Marr. xxxi. 225, I hope he will have a rather nasty quarter of an hour. 1909 Daily Chron. 30 Aug. 4/7 The ‘bad quarter of an hour’ we all know was first given a name by the heartless Louis XIII., who, looking at his watch on the day of the execution of Cinq-Mars, supposed that the poor young fellow ‘passait alors un mauvais quart d'heure’. 1922 C. Mackenzie Altar Steps xxi. 233 Mark fancied that it would be the prelate who would have the unpleasant quarter of an hour. 1937 M. Sharp Nutmeg Tree xviii. 232 Susan was in for a bad quarter of an hour. |
c. Qualifying an
adv. or
advb. phrase (
cf. half adv. 1 d);
† formerly also without
a.| 1522 Sir T. Cheyne in State Papers (1849) VI. 88 He had rather ryde into England..then to ryde a quarter so farre to eny other Prince living. 1545 R. Ascham Toxoph. ii. (Arb.) 157 Sumtyme ful side wynde, sumtyme quarter with hym and more. 1818 Busby Gramm. Mus. 69 A quaver is only one quarter as long as a Minim. |
d. Const. with
ns. without
of (
cf. half a. 1 b).
| 1866 Mrs. Oliphant Madonna Mary (Tauchn.) I. xiv. 184 She had not..a quarter the pleasures you have. 1897 M. Kingsley W. Africa 663 There is not one-quarter the amount of drunkenness. |
e. ellipt. in various contextual uses, as (
a)
† a quarter-barge; (
b) a ‘quarter-note’ or crotchet in Music (
U.S.); (
c) a quarter-mile race.
| 1508 Waterf. Arch. in 10th Rep. Hist. MSS. Comm. App. v. 325 Noo boote shal bring woode butt only half barges and quarters... And every quarter to have iiii. men. 1899 Whitaker's Alm. 637/1 Harrison also won the ‘Quarter’ by a foot. |
2. a. One of the four parts, each including a leg, into which the carcases of quadrupeds are commonly divided; also of fowls, a part containing a leg or wing.
fifth quarter: the hide and fat of a slaughtered animal (
Funk's Stand. Dict., 1893). See also
fore 3,
hind a.
| c 1320 Sir Tristr. 453 Bestes þai brac and bare, In quarters þai hem wrouȝt. c 1420 Liber Cocorum (1862) 8 Hew hom [chickens] in quarteres and lay hom inne. c 1430 Two Cookery-bks. i. 6 Take fayre beef of þe rybbys of þe fore quarterys. 1563–7 Buchanan Reform. St. Andros Wks. (1892) 6 Ane quartar of mouton. 1660 Pepys Diary 17 July, They bought a Quarter of Lamb. 1709 Steele Tatler No. 21 ¶13 A Butcher's Daughter..sometimes brings a Quarter of Mutton. 1776 Adam Smith W.N. i. xi. i. (1869) I. 160 The four quarters of an ox weighing six hundred pounds. 1853 A. Soyer Pantroph. 147 Place a quarter of lamb in a saucepan. |
b. pl. The four parts, each containing a limb, of a human body similarly divided, as was commonly done in the case of those executed for treason.
| 1297 R. Glouc. (Rolls) 10875 A four half engelond is quarters isend were. c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. (1810) 244 His hede þei of smyten..Þe quarters wer sent to henge at four citez. c 1400 Destr. Troy 1971 Brittonet [shuld be] þi body into bare qwarters. 1660 Pepys Diary 15 Oct., This morning Mr. Carew was hanged and quartered..but his quarters..are not to be hanged up. 1773 Brydone Sicily xxi. (1809) 217 The quarters of a number of robbers were hung up upon hooks. 1855 Macaulay Hist. Eng. xii. III. 207 Their heads and quarters were still rotting on poles. |
c. Of a live person or animal,
esp. of a horse; also
freq. = hind-quarter, haunch.
| a 1400 Morte Arth. 3389 Abowte scho whirles the whele..Tille alle my qwarters..ware qwaste. 1590 Spenser F.Q. ii. iii. 16 Is not enough fowre quarters of a man, Withouten sword or shield, an hoste to quayle? 1665 R. Brathwait Comm. Chaucer (1901) 84 She had unnimbly rushed down upon her four Quarters, and..done her Reverence. 1678 Butler Hud. iii. i. 1150 They put him to the Cudgel..They stoutly on his Quarters laid. 1806 A. Duncan Nelson's Fun. 35 Two of his..servants walked at each side of the horse's quarter. 1853 Lytton My Novel i. vi, Down came the staff on the quarters of the donkey. |
3. Her. a. One of the four parts into which a shield is divided by quartering (see
quarter v. 3 b).
The four quarters are: 1 dexter chief; 2 sinister chief; 3 dexter base; 4 sinister base. When one of these is again divided, and the sub-divisions occupied by several coats, it is termed a ‘grand quarter’.
| 1486 Bk. St. Albans, Her. D ij b, In the right side of the shelde in the first quarter she bare tharmys of fraunce. 1610 J. Guillim Heraldry v. i. 238 Without any charge occupying the quarters of the Escocheon. 1727–41 Chambers Cycl., Quarter is also applied to the parts, or members, of the first division of a coat that is quartered, or divided into four quarters. 1797 Encycl. Brit. (ed. 3) VIII. 443/1 A perpendicular and horizontal line, which, crossing each other at the centre of the field, divide it into four equal parts called quarters. 1864 Boutell Her. Hist. & Pop. xv. (ed. 3) 205 The third quarter of his shield. [See also quarterly adv. 2 b.] 1893 Cussans Her. (ed. 4) 165 The second quarter of the Royal Arms of England. Ibid. 168 Second and Third grand Quarters, quarterly quartered. |
b. A charge occupying one fourth of the shield, placed in chief.
| 1592 W. Wyrley Armorie, Ld. Chandos 41 In gold Lord Basset dight Three Rubie piles, a quarter ermins bright. 1610 J. Guillim Heraldry ii. vi. 61 The Quarter is an Ordinary of like composition with the Canton,..the quarter comprehendeth the full fourth. 1727–41 Chambers Cycl. s.v., Franc-quarter is a quarter single or alone; which is to possess one-fourth part of the field. This makes one of the honourable ordinaries of a coat. 1838 Penny Cycl. XII. 141/2 The Quarter is, as its name imports, the fourth part of the shield, and is always placed in chief. 1893 Cussans Her. (ed. 4) 66 The Quarter..is formed by two straight lines, drawn in the direction of the Fess and the Pale, and meeting at the Fess-point. Examples of this charge are very rarely to be met with. |
c. = quartering vbl. n. 2 b.
| 1727–41 Chambers Cycl. s.v., There are sixteen quarters required to prove nobility, in companies, or orders, where none but nobles are admitted. 1816 Scott Antiq. xxiv, A baron of sixteen quarters. 1831 Carlyle Sart. Res. (1858) 61 A duke's son that only knew there were two-and-thirty quarters on the family-coach. |
II. The fourth part of some usual measure or standard.
4. As a measure of capacity for grain, etc.
a. The British imperial quarter
= 8 bushels; the fifth (? originally the fourth) part of a wey or load; also, local variations of this, containing more or less than 8 bushels.
† Formerly sometimes
const. without
of.
| c 1290 S. Eng. Leg. I. 244/130 Ane hondret quarters of þat corn. c 1320 Sir Beues 1424 A ston gret, Þat weȝ seue quarters of whet. c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. (1810) 174 Þe hungre was so grete..Þat a quarter whete was at twenty mark. c 1386 Chaucer Sompn. T. 255 A! yif that covent half a quarter otes. 1494 Fabyan Chron. cxxxvi. 122 A quarter of whete was worth .ii. marks and a halfe. 1523 Fitzherb. Husb. §12 Foure London busshelles [of beans] fullye, and that is half a quarter. 1623 Althorp MS. in Simpkinson Washingtons (1860) App. 48 For 3 coters of rye bought at Harleston. 1663 Cowley Ess., Avarice 129 In thy vast Barns Millions of Quarters store. 1763 Museum Rust. I. 74 Wheat will one year sell for 5 l. a load (that is, five quarters). 1845 McCulloch Taxation i. i. (1852) 49 A farm which produces 100 quarters of wheat. 1862 Ansted Channel Isl. iv. (ed. 2) App. A. 567 The Jersey quarter (thirty-four gallons and three quarts) [contains] a little more than half an imperial quarter. Ibid., The English imperial quarter is equivalent to about two Guernsey quarters. |
b. In the Channel Islands (
cf. quot. 1862 in sense a above) used as a unit of value for land.
| 1682 Warburton Hist. Guernsey (1822) 94 He that has occasion to take up money on his estate, sells so many quarters. 1694 Falle Jersey ii. 85 The way of reckoning an Estate with us, is not by Pounds, but by Quarters of Wheat. 1862 Ansted Channel Isl. iv. xxiv. (ed. 2) 550 The Guernsey ‘quarter of rent’ is estimated as worth, on an average, twenty pounds currency. |
c. The fourth part of a chaldron.
| 1434 E.E. Wills 101, I bequethe to Iohn Wodrof..v quarteres of coles. 1706 Phillips (ed. Kersey), Quarter..In Measure..the fourth part of a Chaldron. 1727–41 Chambers Cycl., Quarter is also a dry measure, containing..of coals the fourth part of a chaldron. 1858 Greenleaf National Arithm. (U.S.), cited by Worcester. |
† d. The fourth part of a peck.
Obs. rare—1.
| 1475 Bk. Noblesse (Roxb.) 26 The ringis of golde..were..mesurid to the quantite of mesure of .xij. quarters or more. |
† 5. The fourth part of a cask or barrel.
Obs.—1| 1579 in W. H. Turner Select Rec. Oxford (1880) 400 Martine Colepeper..setteth the pryce of a quarter of the best stronge ale at iijs iiij{supd}. |
6. As a weight.
a. The fourth part of a pound.
| a 1400 Stockh. Medical MS. i. 43 in Anglia XVIII. 296 A quarter of vergyn-wax þou take. a 1450 Fysshynge w. Angle (1883) 9 Take small ale a potell and stamp it with iij handful of walnot levys and a quarter of alom. c 1450 Two Cookery-bks. 106 Take a quarter of clarefied honey, iij vnces of pouder peper. 1959 I. & P. Opie Lore & Lang. Schoolch. ix. 167 A one-man High-Street confectioner..was found to be offering..Bassett's Liquorice Allsorts 7d. per quarter. 1977 Jackson's of Piccadilly Price List 2/2 [Ox tongue] {pstlg}0.48 per qtr [i.e. quarter]. |
b. The fourth part of a hundredweight
= 28 lbs. (
U.S. commonly 25 lbs.)
Ordinarily used only where the hundredweight is also mentioned, and usually abbreviated ‘qr.’
| 1542 Recorde Gr. Artes (1575) 203 The halfe hundred is 56: the quarter 28 [pounde]. 1588 Bk. of Charges in Dom. St. Papers CCXV. 88, 4 quille of ropes wayeinge sixe hundred, a quarter, and one pound. 1727–41 Chambers Cycl., Quarter, in weights, is a fourth part of the quintal, or hundred weight. The quarter is 28 pounds avoirdupois. 1797 Encycl. Brit. (ed. 3) XVII. 410 Iron, 5 cwt. 2 qrs. 24 lb. |
† c. ‘The fourth part of a Dram’ (Phillips, 1706).
7. As a measure of length or area.
a. The fourth part of a yard: nine inches. Also
fig.| 1433 Rolls Parlt. IV. 451/2 Clothe of colour shold conteigne..in brede vi quarters di. c 1450 Bk. Curtasye 359 in Babees Bk., A stafe, a fyngur gret, two wharters long. 1483 Act 1 Rich. III, c. 8 Preamble, Some of the same Clothes..ben drawen out..in Brede from .vii. Quarters unto the Brede of .ii. Yerdys. 1596 Shakes. Tam. Shr. iv. iii. 109 Thou yard, three quarters, halfe yard, quarter, naile. 1624 Capt. Smith Virginia ii. 25 His arrowes were fiue quarters long. 1708 J. C. Compl. Collier (1845) 16 The 3 Quarter Coal [is] about 3 Quarters thick or more. 1778 Eng. Gazetteer (ed. 2) s.v. Witney, Blankets..from 10 to 12 quarters wide. |
b. Naut. The fourth part of a fathom.
| 1769 Falconer Dict. Marine (1789) Mm iv b, If he judges it to be a quarter..more than any particular number, he calls, ‘And a quarter five!’ Ibid., At four fathoms and 3-quarters he calls ‘A quarter less five!’ 1855 Englishwoman in Russia 1 ‘By the quarter seven’ sang out..the sailor..engaged in heaving the lead. |
c. An Irish land-measure (
tr. Ir. ceathramhadh, sometimes anglicized as
carrow): see
quots.| 1607 Davies 1st Let. to Ld. Salisbury (1787) 245 Every ballibetagh is divided into four quarters of lands, and every quarter into four taths. 1683 J. Keogh Acct. Roscommon in O'Donovan Hy Fiachraich (1844) 453 These countries were subdivided into townlands..which were called Ballys..and each townland was divided again into quarters. Ibid., I have been sometimes perplexed to know how many acres a quarter contains, but I have learned it is an uncertain measure. 1883 Seebohm Eng. Village Comm. vii. 223 Annexed is an example of an ancient bally divided into quarters... Two of the quarters, now townlands, still bear the names of ‘Cartron’ and ‘Carrow’, or ‘Quarter’. 1892 E. Lawless Grania II. 3 Mishmaan possesses but two townlands, containing six quarters each. |
d. U.S. The fourth part of a mile.
| 1827 J. F. Cooper Prairie I. iv. 56, I can make myself heard a mile in these open fields, and his camp is but a short quarter from us. 1868 H. Woodruff Trotting Horse vii. 84 What's the use of a horse going a quarter fast? Now, they must go a quarter fast before they can go a mile fast. 1878 J. H. Beadle Western Wilds ii. 31 It was weeks before I could walk a quarter. |
8. As a measure of time.
a. The fourth part of a year,
esp. as divided by the recognized quarter-days. Also (
esp. in Scotland), the fourth part of the school-year, or of the period during which instruction is usually given, containing about eleven weeks. (See also 11.)
| 1389 in Eng. Gilds (1870) 7 What man is take in to be brother, schal paie..eueri quarter..iij. d. c 1440 Ipomydon 762 My greyhondes ranne not þis quartere. 1536 Boorde Lett. in Introd. Knowl. (1870) 53 To come to yow ons in a qwartter. 1591 Nashe Prognost. Wks. 1883–4 II. 164 The predominant qualities of this quarter [summer] is heate and drynesse. a 1610 Healey Theophrastus (1636) 40 A quarters rent of his house. 1623 Althorp MS. in Simpkinson Washingtons (1860) App. 41 To the hoggheard for a coter's wages. 1731 Swift On his Death, He must..change his comrades once a quarter. 1819 Shelley Peter Bell vi. iii, Then seriatim, month and quarter, Appeared such mad tirades. 1836 Penny Cycl. V. 238 For a commercial education, a guinea a quarter is charged. 1865 Dickens Mut. Fr. i. iv, The gentleman proposes to take your apartments by the quarter. |
b. A fourth part of the lunar period. Also, the moon's position when between the first and second or third and fourth quarters; quadrature.
| c 1400 Mandeville (Roxb.) xxxiii. 149 Þe moone may noȝt be sene þare, bot in þe secund quartere. 1632 Massinger Maid of Hon. i. i, His sheepshearing..Is in every quarter of the moon, and constant. 1694 W. Holder Time v. 82 How near she is to her Quarters, Full, or next New-moon. 1728 Pemberton Newton's Philos. 201 But..in the quarters the moon..will be made to approach it [the earth]. 1853 Maurice Proph. & Kings xi. 189 We sometimes see the moon in her first quarter with one bright luminous border. 1867 Smyth Sailor's Word-bk. s.v., When the moon appears exactly as a half-moon, 90° from the sun towards the east, she is in the first quarter. |
| fig. 1806 Lamb Let. to Hazlitt 15 Jan. Wks. 1852. 77/1 Prudentia is in the last quarter of her tutelary shining over me. |
c. The fourth part of an hour; the space of fifteen minutes. Also, the moment, as denoted by a mark on the dial, the sound of a bell, etc., at which one quarter of an hour (
cf. hour 3) ends and the next begins; chiefly used of the quarter after or before an hour, as ‘a quarter
past nine’, ‘a quarter
to ten’. Also without article, as
quarter of an hour, etc. Also (
Sc. and
N. Amer.), ‘a quarter
of (or
till) (a certain hour)’, a quarter to (the hour specified).
| [1599 Shakes. Much Ado v. ii. 85 An hower in clamour and a quarter in rhewme.] 1617 Moryson Itin. i. 31 In the upper part of the clocke are..statuaes, which strike the quarters of the houre. 1659 Mayne City Match ii. iii. 27 A fellow that turnes upon his toe In a steeple, and strikes quarters. 1727 Bailey vol. II, Quarters [in a Clock or Movement] are little Bells which sound the Quarters or other Parts of an Hour. 1822 Byron Vis. Judgm. lxxxvii, I've scarcely been ten minutes..At least a quarter it can hardly be. 1842 Tennyson St. Sim. Styl. 218, I shall die to-night, A quarter before twelve. 1844 Dickens Mart. Chuz. xiv, ‘The quarter's gone!’ cried Mr. Tapley. 1871 Sci. Amer. 11 Feb. 102/2 When everything was tightened..and the propellor arranged to cause elevation, it was just quarter of one o'clock. 1894 A. Robertson Nuggets 165 His Excellency the Governor wants to see you, detective, at a quarter to eleven sharp. 1912, etc. [see of prep. 4 c]. 1913 C. Mackenzie Sinister St. I. ii. i. 141 In the ‘quarter’ (as the break was now called) Michael would stand on..the step that led down..into the schoolground. 1920 J. S. Clouston Carrington's Cases ix. 135, I found myself sitting in a first-class smoking carriage with nearly quarter of an hour to spare. Ibid. xiii. 237 It was then quarter-past eleven. 1933 P. Godfrey Back-Stage i. 14 Once more the call-boy appears. ‘Shall I call ‘the quarter’, sir?’ 1949 H. Kurath Word Geogr. Eastern U.S. ii. 30/2 In the greater part of the Midland..quarter till eleven is current. 1952 M. Laski Village vii. 119 If I'm not there by quarter to, you'll know I couldn't make it. 1963 R. I. McDavid Mencken's Amer. Lang. 298 Americans may say quarter to, quarter of or quarter till, the last being characteristic of Pennsylvania and its dependencies, including the upland South. 1966 H. Kemelman Saturday the Rabbi went Hungry (1969) ii. 21 He said..that traffic would be heaviest between a quarter of and a quarter past seven. 1969 A. Glyn Dragon Variation v. 142 He checked the time on his Omega Seamaster. It would be just a quarter of three in New York. |
| In attrib. phrases. 1849 Mrs. Carlyle Lett. II. 77, I was up to leaving..by the quarter-after-eight train. 1857 Hughes Tom Brown i. viii. 192 The quarter-to-ten bell..rang. |
† d. The fourth part of the night, or of the period between two canonical hours.
Obs. rare.
| c 1369 Chaucer Dethe Blaunche 198 Ther-as she lay, Right even a quarter before day. 1412–20 Lydg. Chron. Troy i. vi, She..founde a quarter passed after pryme. |
e. Sport. One of four equal periods of play in a match; also
gen., the fourth part of the time taken to play a match.
| 1911 P. H. Davis Football viii. 115 The periods of the game, the halves,..were replaced by quarters. 1922 P. D. Haughton Football & how to watch It ix. 191 In contrast to the preceding period this quarter was marked by excellent play. 1954 New Yorker 6 Nov. 87/1 The play of the afternoon came in the middle of the final quarter. 1963 Times 29 Apr. 4/6 Mellor soon recovered their balance to take a 3–0 lead in the first quarter. 1969 Sun-Herald (Sydney) 13 July 48/2 Footscray made a great fight of it in the final quarter. 1972 J. Mosedale Football ix. 130 Playing on an 80-yard field the teams were deadlocked near the end of the fourth quarter. 1976 Eastern Even. News (Norwich) 9 Dec. 19/8 In the last quarter, Reading gave UEA and their supporters a scare by scoring a well-worked try which was converted. 1979 Tucson (Arizona) Citizen 20 Sept. 1d/2 The young Warriors battled Sahuaro to a 7–7 draw through three quarters before falling, 16–13, in the season opener. |
9. Of coins.
† a. A farthing.
Obs.| 1389 in Eng. Gilds 60 Euery broyer and syster shal offeryn ij. q{supr}tre and j. q{supr} to ye almes. 1641 Best Farm. Bks. (Surtees) 140 Harrowers have usually 3d., or 3d. two quarters. |
b. U.S. A silver coin
= one fourth of a dollar.
| [1799 Washington Lett. Writ. 1893 XIV. 150 It ought not to be larger than would cover a quarter of a dollar.] 1856 Olmsted Slave States 4 Here's a quarter for you. 1883 Harper's Mag. Nov. 950/2 Twenty..oranges for a quarter. |
10. Naut. † a. (See first
quot.)
Obs.| 1727–41 Chambers Cycl. s.v., A quarter of a point, wind, or rhumb, is the fourth part of a cardinal point, wind, or rhumb; or of the distance between two cardinal points, winds, etc. The quarter contains an arch of 11 degrees 15 minutes. 1796 H. Hunter tr. St.-Pierre's Stud. Nat. (1799) I. 156 The highest Tide..set in from east-quarter-north. |
b. The fourth part of a point on the compass; 2° 48{p} 45{pp}. Also
quarter-point (see 31).
| 1795 Hutton Math. Dict. II. 319. |
11. ellipt. (from 8 a). A quarterly instalment of an allowance or payment.
| 1679–88 Secr. Serv. Money Chas. & Jas. (Camden) 63 Interest and gratuity for advancing the Dutchess of Portsmouth's quarter when she went into France. 1849 Thackeray Pendennis lviii, Pay me down the first quarter now. |
III. Senses denoting locality, and transferred uses of these.
12. a. The region lying about or under one of the four principal points of the compass or divisions of the horizon; the point or division itself. Also
spec. in
Astrol. (see
quot. 1696).
| c 1391 Chaucer Astrol. i. §5 The 4 principals plages or quarters of the firmament. 1526 Tindale Rev. xx. 8 The people which are in the foure quarters [Gr. γωνίαις] of the erth. 1535 Coverdale Jer. xlix. 34 Vpon Elam I wil bringe the foure wyndes from y⊇ foure quarters of heauen. 1611 Bible 1 Chron. ix. 24 In foure quarters were the Porters: toward the East, West, North, and South. 1696 Phillips, Quarters of Heaven..in Astronomy, the [1706 Among Astrologers, certain] Intersections of the Spheres as well in the World as in the Zodiack [1706 of which two are termed Oriental, and counted Masculine; the other two being Occidental and Feminine]. 1748 Anson's Voy. ii. ii. 136 We espied a sail in the northern quarter. 1826 Scott Woodst. ii, Joceline..looked..to the four quarters of the horizon. 1835 Sir J. Ross Narr. 2nd Voy. xv. 231 Venus was also seen in the southern quarter. 1860 Dickens Uncomm. Trav. iv, The Four Quarters of the World came out of the globe. |
| transf. 1542 Recorde Gr. Artes (1575) 197 The rose..is enuironed on the 4 quarters with 4 floure deluce. |
† b. Boundary or limit towards one of the cardinal points; side.
Obs.| 1551 Robinson tr. More's Utop. ii. (Arb.) 78 A drie diche..goeth about thre sides or quarters of the city. To the fourth side the riuer it selfe serueth for a ditche. 1596 Dalrymple tr. Leslie's Hist. Scot. (1885) I. 2, I wil first..descriue the quarteris and boundes of Scotland. 1611 Bible Josh. xviii. 14, 15 This was the West quarter. And the South quarter was from the end of Kiriath-iearim. |
c. A direction or point of the compass, when more than four are mentioned or may be implied.
| 1604 E. G[rimstone] D'Acosta's Hist. Indies iii. v. 132 They reckon but twoo and thirty quarters of the windes, for that more would confound the memorie. 1664 Evelyn Sylva (1679) 16 How speedily they [oaks] spread, and dilate themselves to all quarters. 1674 Grew Veget. Trunks vi. §7 Setting down the respect it..hath to any Quarter in the Heavens. 1784 Cowper Task i. 373 Winds from all quarters agitate the air. 1806–7 J. Beresford Miseries Hum. Life (1826) ii. xiii, From every quarter of the compass to which you turn for refuge. 1818 Scott Rob Roy viii, ‘Whew! sits the wind in that quarter?’ enquired the justice. |
13. a. Region, district, place, locality.
The
pl. is sometimes used in much the same sense as the
sing. With the preps.
from,
in,
to, this sense cannot always be clearly distinguished from 12 c.
| 13.. K. Alis. 1902 Sixty citees, in that quarter, Heo forbrente. 1471 E. Paston in P. Lett. III. 27, I trow sche be in ȝour quarters. 1534 More Conf. agst. Trib. iii. Wks. 1214/1 In this quarter here about vs. 1555 W. Watreman Fardle Facions ii. vii. 157 Suche commodities as the quartre beareth..wher they dwelle. 1667 Milton P.L. v. 686 Where we possess The Quarters of the North. 1734 G. Sale Koran Prelim. Disc. §1 (Chandos ed.) 1 In which quarter they dwelt in respect to the Jews. 1765 Museum Rusticum IV. 377 There were in that single quarter [of France] above one hundred acres of transplanted cole-seed. 1855 Prescott Philip II, ii. vi. (1857) 270 The marquis..had left the place on a visit to a distant quarter. 1867 Freeman Norm. Conq. (1876) I. v. 383 Troops flocked to him from all quarters. |
b. Indicating a certain portion or member of a community, or some thing or things, without reference to actual locality.
| 1777 Sheridan Sch. Scand. i. i, I was hurt..to learn, from the same quarter, that..Sir Peter and Lady Teazle have not agreed lately. 1818 Jas. Mill Brit. India II. v. viii. 668 The quarter from which this proposition proceeded..was no secret to him. 1821 J. W. Croker in Diary (1884) June 6 This is erroneous in fact,..but T. insisted he had it from a good quarter. 1856 Froude Hist. Eng. (1858) I. ii. 136 A suspicion that even in the highest quarters justice had ceased to be much considered. 1886 E. Miller Textual Guide 27 This deference to B...leads the two learned Professors to follow it whenever it is supported by only slight testimony from other quarters. |
14. a. A particular division or district of a town or city,
esp. that appropriated to a particular class or race of people, as
the Jewish quarter, etc.;
spec. the Latin Quarter of Paris (see
Latin n. 5).
| 1526 Tindale Luke xiv. 21 Goo out quickly into the stretes and quarters [1611 lanes] of the citie. 1541 Act 33 Hen. VIII, c. 15 The said sainctuarymen..enter in euery parte and quarter of the same towne. 1602 Return fr. Parnass. v. iv, What newes with you in this quarter of the Citty? 1711 Addison Spect. No. 31 ¶1 The several Shows that are exhibited in different Quarters of the Town. 1756–7 tr. Keysler's Trav. (1760) II. 467 Rome is divided into fourteen rioni or quarters. 1820 W. Irving Sketch Bk. I. 121 In the most dark and dingy quarters of the city. 1864 D. G. Mitchell Sev. Stor. 214 A narrow court..which leads into a moldering quarter of the city. 1919 W. S. Maugham Moon & Sixpence xxvii. 117 Lots of fellows in the Quarter share a studio. 1926 E. Hemingway Sun also Rises I. v. 37 ‘What do you do nights, Jake?’..‘Oh, I'm over in the Quarter.’ a 1967 A. Ransome Autobiogr. (1976) xii. 120 In those days the Quarter did its best for hard-up students, and I was able to furnish my studio for next to nothing. |
† b. A particular place or point (in a building, etc.).
Obs.| c 1440 Jacob's Well 69 Þis wose of pride has viij. corneres, or viij. quarterys. ? 1449 Paston Lett. No. 67 I. 83 They have made wykets on every quarter of the hwse to schote owte atte. c 1470 Henry Wallace viii. 1051 At a quartar, quhar fyr had nocht ourtayn, Thai tuk thaim out fra that castell. 1526 Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W. 1531) 131 That y⊇ ennemy may fynde in vs no quarter to entre. |
† c. A part of a gathering or assembly, army, camp, etc.
Obs.| 1591 Shakes. 1 Hen. VI, ii. i. 63 Had all your Quarters been as safely kept As that whereof I had the gouernement, We had not beene..surpriz'd. 1596 Edward III, iv. iv. 50 These quarters, squadrons, and these regiments. 1599 Hakluyt Voy. II. ii. 137 It is a thing almost impossible, at any your Faires or publique assemblies to finde any quarter thereof sober. |
† d. to keep good quarter: To keep good watch; to preserve good order.
Obs.| 1595 Shakes. John v. v. 20 Well: keepe good quarter, & good care to night. 1653 H. More Antid. Ath. ii. viii. §2 (1712) 63 To have made Man that he might be a Lord over the rest of the Creation and keep good quarter among them. |
† e. to keep a{ddd}quarter: To maintain a (bad) state of things, to behave in a (bad) way; hence, even without
adj., to make a noise or disturbance.
| 1632 Lithgow Trav. iii. 88 The Souldiers kept a bloody quarter among themselues. a 1654 Selden Table-t. (Arb.) 81 They keep a huge quarter when they carry it into the Cellar. 1659 Commw. Ball. (Percy Soc.) 150 For all you kept such a quarter, you are out of the councell of state. 1668 Pepys Diary 29 Jan., They had fiddlers, and danced, and kept a quarter, which pleased me though it disturbed me. 1736 Ainsworth Lat. Dict., What a quarter they keep in the market. 1760 Baretti Engl.-Ital. Dict., To keep a heavy quarter, fare un grande strepito. |
15. a. Place of stay or residence; dwelling-place, lodgings,
esp. of soldiers. Now
usu. in
pl. free quarter(s): see
free-quarter.
head-quarters,
home-quarters,
out-quarters,
summer-quarters,
winter-quarters: see the first element.
quarters of refreshment (see
quot. 1702–11).
to beat up the quarters of: see
beat v.
1 28.
to take up one's quarters: to establish oneself (in a place).
| sing. 1591 Garrard's Art Warre 77 Let him remember..to bring backe again into his Quarter those souldiers hee hath led foorth to any enterprise. 1649 G. Daniel Trinarch., Hen. IV, lxxxiv, The Lords who must in state Lodge at the Crowne..Defray their Quarter at a Double Rate. 1679 Establ. Test. 25 In a place remote from his quarter, he rendevouzes with his fellow adventurers. 1719 De Foe Crusoe ii. vi, I went from their quarter. 1837 Carlyle Fr. Rev. III. i. v, The grate which led to our quarter opened anew. 1897 Hughes Medit. Fever ii. 62 The staff-sergeant..occupied a two-room quarter a few yards away. |
| pl. 1598 B. Jonson Ev. Man in Hum. iv. v, Turnbull, Whitechapel, Shoreditch, which were then my quarters. 1645 W. Browne Let. to Wood 9 Sept. in Wood's Life (O.H.S.) I. 122 note, Our horse from Oxon. fell on the enemies quarters at Thame. 1660 Sancroft Serm. 18 Nov. in D'Oyly Life (1821) II. 320 God and his church pay their quarters wherever they come. 1702–11 Milit. & Sea Dict. (ed. 4) 1, Quarters of Refreshment, the Place or Places, where Troops that haue been much harass'd, are put in to recover themselues, during some time of the Summer or Season for the Campaign. 1722 De Foe Moll Flanders (1840) 355, I found we must shift our quarters. 1758 Johnson Idler No. 21 ¶3, I wandered with the regiment as the quarters were changed. 1807 De Quincey in H. A. Page Life (1877) I. vii. 125 Mrs. Koster did me the honour to call at my quarters. 1856 Kane Arct. Expl. I. iii. 35 We had a rough time in working to our present quarters. 1881 Besant & Rice Chapl. of Fleet i. vi. (1883) 51 Where..robbers of the road had their customary quarters. |
† b. The compulsory provision by private persons of lodging for troops.
Obs.| 1647 N. Bacon Disc. Govt. Eng. i. lxvi. (1739) 142 The Clergy are charged with Quarter, Cart-Service, and Purveying. 1781 Gibbon Decl. & F. xvii. II. 45 The most flourishing cities were oppressed by the intolerable weight of quarters. |
c. Hist. U.S. (South). The cabins in which the Negroes on a plantation lived.
| 1724 H. Jones Present State of Virginia iv. 36 The Negroes live in small Cottages called Quarters. 1760 G. Washington Diary 26 Feb. (1925) I. 131 Began Plowing the Field by the Stable and Quarter for Oats and Clover. 1799 I. Weld Trav. N. Amer. xi. 84 Their quarters, the name whereby their habitations are called, are usually situated one or two hundred yards from the dwelling house. 1804 Europ. Mag. XLV. 19/1, I walked away to the Quarter. [Note. The place of abode for the negroes.] 1856 Olmsted Slave States 111 Several cabins are placed near together, and they are called ‘the quarters’. 1889 Harper's Mag. Jan. 253 Let us go out to the quarters, grandpa; they will be dancing by now. 1909 ‘O. Henry’ Roads of Destiny xvii. 282 Almost the entire population of the quarters volunteered their aid. 1916 J. B. Thoburn Stand. Hist. Oklahoma I. 261 ‘The quarters’..formed a picturesque feature of the old time plantation life. 1935 Z. N. Hurston Mules & Men i. iv. 85 It sauntered on down the bark-covered road and into the quarters just as if it had really wanted to come. 1949 B. A. Botkin Treas. S. Folklore iv. i. 551 The ‘South's tradition of good cooking’..belonged originally to the ‘big house’ rather than to the ‘quarters’ and the cabin. |
d. A place of exercise for dogs.
| 1844 Sporting Rev. XI. 209 If you have sufficient walks or quarters, as they are sometimes called, to enable you to bring your own [hounds], begin with a good stock at first. |
16. Assigned or appropriate position.
† to keep quarter: to keep one's own place.
† to hold quarter with: to remain beside.
quarter of assembly (see
quot. 1802). See also
close quarters.
| 1549 Compl. Scot. vi. 41 Gunnaris, cum heir and stand by ȝour artailȝee, euyrie gunnar til his auen quartar. 1606 Shakes. Ant. & Cl. iv. iii. 22 Follow the noyse so farre as we haue quarter. 1611 Beaum. & Fl. Philaster ii. ii, Let me hold quarter with you; we'll talk an hour Out quickly. 1612 Bacon Ess., Love (Arb.) 446 They doe best that make this affection keepe quarter, and seuer it wholly from their serious affaires. 1667 Milton P.L. iii. 714 Swift to thir several Quarters hasted then The cumbrous Elements, Earth, Flood, Aire, Fire. 1702–11 Milit. & Sea Dict. (ed. 4) i. s.v., A Quarter at a Siege, An Incampment upon any of the principal Avenues of the Place. 1769 Falconer Dict. Marine (1780), Quarters, a name given, at sea, to the several stations where the officers and crew of the ship of war are posted in action. 1802 James Milit. Dict., Quarter of Assembly, the place where the troops meet to march from in body, and is the same as the place of rendezvous. 1836 Marryat Midsh. Easy xxvi, ‘Call the drummer’, said Captain Wilson, ‘and let him beat to quarters’. |
† 17. a. Relations with, or conduct towards, another;
esp. in
phr. to keep good (or fair) quarter(s) with.
| 1590 Shakes. Com. Err. ii. i. 108 So he would keepe faire quarter with his bed. 1604 ― Oth. ii. iii. 180 Friends all..In Quarter, and in termes like Bride, and Groome. 1625 Bacon Ess., Cunning (Arb.) 439 Two, that were Competitors,..yet kept good Quarter betweene themselues. 1637 Rutherford Lett. (1862) I. 207, I find it to be hard wrestling to play fair with Christ and to keep good quarters with Him. a 1674 Clarendon Surv. Leviathan (1676) 153 The two next Kings..kept very fair quarter with Paschal. |
b. (Good or fair) treatment or terms.
Obs. exc. arch.| 1648 Eikon Bas. iv. 25, I never had any thoughts of going from my House at Whitehall, if I could have had but any reasonable fair Quarter. 1699 Bentley Phal. 319 Lucian should have no better Quarter from him. 1705 Stanhope Paraphr. II. 268 No other Person must expect fair Quarter. 1735 Bolingbroke On Parties Ded. (1738) 7 He would deserve certainly much better Quarter [etc.]. 1826 Scott Woodst. xxxiii, Neither I nor my fellows will deliver it up but upon good quarter and conditions. Ibid., They will give thee fair quarter. |
18. a. Exemption from being immediately put to death, granted to a vanquished opponent by the victor in a battle or fight; clemency or mercy shown in sparing the life of one who surrenders.
† Formerly also
pl. † to cry quarter: to call for quarter.
The precise origin of this sense is obscure, but it may be derived from 17, or even from 15 on the supposition that
to give quarter originally meant to provide prisoners with quarters. The assertion of De Brieux (1672
Origines..de plusieurs fa{cced}ons de parler, 16) that it arose in an agreement between the Dutch and Spaniards, by which the ransom of an officer or private was to be a quarter of his pay, is at variance with the constant sense of the phrases
give quarter and
receive quarter.
| 1611 Cotgr., Quartier..Quarter, or faire war, wherein souldiers are taken prisoners and ransomed at a certaine rate. c 1645 Howell Lett. (1655) I. 231 He suffered Tilly to take that great Town with so much effusion of blood, because they wood receiue no quarter. 1659 B. Harris Parival's Iron Age 308 Many were cut down, the Swedes giving no quarter. 1693 Mem. Ct. Teckely ii. 89 As this was not a War of Quarter, they defended themselves desperately. 1720 De Foe Capt. Singleton xi. (1840) 188 The Portuguese cry quarter. 1788 Priestley Lect. Hist. v. lxii. 494 Civil wars are also peculiarly bloody, because less quarter is expected in them. 1816 Byron Siege Cor. xxiv, Cry For quarter, or for victory. 1841 James Brigand iii, Several of them uttered a cry of ‘Quarter quarter’. 1865 Kingsley Herew. vii, Hereward bid his men give quarter. |
| pl. c 1644 MS. Hist. Somerville Fam. in Scott's Rokeby, Having refused quarters, every man fell in the same order and ranke wherin he had foughten. 1684 Scanderbeg Rediv. iv. 91 There was no Quarters given during the heat of the fight. 1726 G. Shelvocke Voy. round World 129 They instantly came to, and call'd for quarters. 1747 Gentl. Mag. 486 Near 7 at night she [the Terrible] called out for quarters. 1769 Falconer Dict. Marine (1780) s.v., Quarters is also an exclamation to implore mercy from a victorious enemy. |
b. transf. and
fig.| 1647 Ward Simp. Cobler 72 He shewes more true fortitude, that prayes quarter of..Truth. 1684 J. Peter Siege Vienna 51 Nor was there any quarter given to the Wine-Cellars of the Emperor's Ministers. 1745 De Foe Eng. Tradesman (1841) I. vii. 55 The tradesman can expect no quarter from his creditors. 1762 Kames Elem. Crit. xix. (1833) 344 Mere witticisms, which ought to have no quarter. 1817 Shelley Rev. Islam Pref., There is no quarter given to Revenge, or Envy, or Prejudice. 1871 Morley Crit. Misc. Ser. i. Vauvenargues (1878) 25 The Trappist theory of the conditions of virtue found no quarter with him. |
IV. Technical uses, in most of which the original sense is much obscured.
19. Carpentry. A piece of wood, four inches wide by two or four inches thick (see
quot. 1703), used as an upright stud or scantling in partitions and other framing. Chiefly in
pl.| [1331 in J. T. Smith Antiq. Westminister (1807) 207 Two pieces of timber eight feet long called quarters.] 1497 Naval Acc. Hen. VII (1896) 235 Sawyng of tymbre into plankes quarters Bourde and other necessaries. 1565–73 Cooper Thesaurus, Clostrum,..a rayle or other like thinge made of quarters. 1617 Minsheu Ductor, A quarter, a peece of timber commonly foure square, and foure inches thicke, as it were a quarter or fourth part of a beame. 1665 Pepys Diary 21 Sept., The posts and quarters in the walls. 1703 Moxon Mech. Exerc. 163 Single Quarters are..two Inches thick, and four Inches broad. The Double Quarters are sawen to Four Inches square. 1811 Self Instructor 141 Plastering..between the quarters in partitioning. 1825 J. Nicholson Operat. Mechanic 627 If the workman find materials for rendering between quarters, one-fifth must be added for quarters. 1875 Knight Dict. Mech. 1843/2 The English rule is to place the quarters at a distance not exceeding 14 inches. |
20. a. Farriery. One side of a horse's hoof; one half of the coffin, extending between heel and toe; sometimes, the part of this immediately in front of the heel.
false quarter: see
false a. 7.
b. The corresponding part of a horse-shoe.
| 1523 etc. [see false a. 7]. 1607 Topsell Four-f. Beasts (1658) 309 You shall easily perceive whether his grief be in the inward quarter or in the outward quarter; the quarter is to be understood, from the mid hoof to the heel. 1685 Lond. Gaz. No. 2054/4 A Brown Dun Mare..with..a false quarter in one of her fore Feet. 1727 Bradley Fam. Dict. s.v. Cut, If..the Horse Cuts himself, or interferes, thicken the inner Quarters or Spunges of his Shoes. 1829 Nat. Philos., Prelim. Treat. (U.K.S.) 37 The frog coming down in the middle between the quarters, adds greatly to the elasticity. 1875 Knight Dict. Mech. 1843/2 Quarter,..the rear or heel portion of a horseshoe. |
c. That part of a shoe or boot lying immediately in front of the back-line, on either side of the foot; the piece of leather, or other stuff, forming this part of the shoe from the heel to the vamp.
| 1753 Hanway Trav. (1762) I. iii. i. 228 They wear slippers like women's shoes, without quarters. 1817 M. Edgeworth Harrington vi, A slipper, with a heel so high, and a quarter so low. 1834 J. R. Planché Brit. Costume 315 The shoes were worn with longer quarters and larger buckles. 1885 Harper's Mag. Jan. 280/2 The small quarter and button piece are ‘closed’ on the large quarter. |
† 21. A bed or plot in a garden.
Obs. Possibly due, in part at least, to confusion between ‘quarter’ and ‘square’ (as in the case of
quadrant,
quadrate):
cf. F.
carré,
Sp. cuadro square, garden-plot.
| 1565 Cooper Thesaurus, Area in hortis,..a platte or quarter. 1572 L. Mascall Plant. & Graff. (1592) 8 Ye may plant or set all your Nuttes in one square or quarter together. 1688 R. Holme Armoury ii. 118/1 Statues or Figures cut in Stone [are proper] to be in the quarters of the Garden. 1706 London & Wise Retir'd Gard'ner 12 Dig out of the Walks all the good Earth, and wheel or throw it into the Quarters. 1764 Museum Rusticum III. xvi. 73 This year they began to attack a large quarter of new⁓grafted apples. |
22. Naut. a. The upper part of a ship's side between the after part of the main chains and the stern.
on the quarter, in a direction about midway between astern and on the beam.
| 1599 [see after a. 4 b]. a 1618 Raleigh Royal Navy 10 Otherwise the bow and quarter will utterly spoile her sayling. 1624 J. Taylor (Water P.) Brave Sea-fight Wks. (1630) iii. 39/2 To clap the Portugall aboord on the Larboord quarter. 1719 De Foe Crusoe i. xiii, All the stern and quarter of her was beaten to pieces with the sea. 1769 Falconer Dict. Marine (1780) s.v., If we were to divide the ship's sides into five equal portions..the first, from the stern, would be the quarter. Ibid., s.v. Bearing. These bearings..which may be called mechanical, are on the beam,..on the quarter [etc.]. 1805 Log of H.M.S. Tonnant 21 Oct. in Nicolas Disp. Nelson (1846) VII. 167 note, The French Admiral's Ship under our quarter had lost her foremast. 1840 R. H. Dana Bef. Mast iv. 8 Leaving the land on our quarter. 1878 Masque Poets 120 The sea that came over her quarter. |
b. Of a yard: The part between the slings and the yard-arm (see also
quot. 1769).
| 1769 Falconer Dict. Marine (1780) s.v. Yard, The distance between the slings and the yard-arms on each side is..divided into quarters, which are distinguished into the first, second, third quarters, and yard-arms. c 1860 H. Stuart Seaman's Catech. 25 The quarter of the mainyard. 1882 Nares Seamanship (ed. 6) 41 The truss strop on the quarter of the yard. |
23. † a. The skirt of a coat or other garment.
Obs.| 1535 Coverdale Deut. xxii. 12 Thou shalt make gardes vpon the foure quarters of thy garment. 1591 Percivall Sp. Dict., Falda, the lap of a coate, the skirtes, the quarters of a coate. c 1658 Wit Restored 167 Chill put on my zunday parrell That's lac't about the quarters. |
b. Of a saddle: (see
quot.).
| 1753 Chambers Cycl. Supp. s.v., Quarters of a saddle are the pieces of leather or stuff made fast to the lower part of the sides of a saddle, and hanging down below the saddle. |
24. One of the four parts into which a road is divided by the horse-track and the wheel-ruts.
| 1767 A. Young Lett. to People (1771) I. 445 A road..upon which the tracks may vary, without having quarters a yard high to cross. 1789 Trans. Soc. Arts VII. 204 Gravelled roads,..where quarters are formed by carriages following in one continued track. 1805 Dickson Practical Agric. I. Plate xxxvii, It is drawn by two horses abreast, the outside horse on the outer quarter, and the other in the path... Thus an inside and outside quarter are taken in going, and the others in returning. 1879 in Norfolk Arch. VIII. 172. |
25. dial. One of the four teats of a cow (
cf. quarter-evil 2).
false quarter (see
quot. 1797).
| 1797 J. Billingsley View Agric. Somerset 249 This disorder frequently affects the udder, and brings on a false quarter, that is, a deprivation of milk in one teat. 1886 Holland Cheshire Gloss. s.v., When a cow..ceases to give milk from one teat, she is said to have lost a quarter. |
26. Miscellaneous uses.
a. Fencing. Some kind of stroke or blow (
cf. quarter-blow,
-stroke in 31).
† b. ? A square space.
Obs. † c. ? A square block.
Obs. † d. Typog. One of the divisions of a form (see
quot.).
Obs. † e. In the manege (see
quot.).
Obs. † f. pl. In the old style of Rugby football (see
quot.).
Obs. g. Arch. A portion of a Gothic arch (Knight
Dict. Mech. 1875).
h. Carpentry. A section of a winding stair (
ibid.).
i. A section of a mill-stone dress (
ibid.).
j. That part of the side of a cask which lies between the chime and bulge (
ibid.).
k. An angular piece of cork, ready for rounding (
ibid.).
| a. c 1450 Fencing w. two handed Sword in Rel. Ant. I. 309 Thy rakys, thy rowndis, thy quarters abowte. |
| b. 1454 in Dugdale Antiq. Warwicksh. 356 Under every principall housing a goodly quarter for a Scutcheon of copper and gilt to be set in. |
| c. 1601 Holland Pliny II. 602 In Portugall..there be found great crystal quarters or masses of a wonderful weight. |
| d. 1683 Moxon Mech. Exerc., Printing 388 Quarto's, Octavo's and Twelves Forms are Imposed in Quarters. They are called Quarters, not from their equal divisions; but because they are Imposed and Lockt up apart. Thus half the Short-Cross in a Twelves Form is called a Quarter, though it be indeed but one Sixth part of the Form. |
| e. 1727 Bailey vol. II, To work from Quarter, to Quarter, is to ride a Horse three Times an End upon the first of the four Lines of a Square, and then changing Hands to ride him three Times upon the second, and so to do upon the third and fourth. |
| f. 1857 Hughes Tom Brown i. v. 114 The captain of quarters..spread his men..half⁓way between their own goal and the body of their own players-up. |
27. In various colloquial shortened and abbreviated forms.
a. U.S. Football.
= quarterback n. 2 a.
| 1893 W. C. Camp Bk. College Sports 120 The criss-cross or double pass is another excellent example of a disguised play, the ball being passed by the quarter to one of the backs. 1907 St. Nicholas (N.Y.) Sept. 1013/2 A line man could..take the ball from the quarter. 1914 P. Withington Bk. Athletics 58 In handling the team the quarter must have absolute command. |
b. (
a)
= quartermaster-sergeant s.v. quartermaster 2 c; (
b)
= quartermaster 1 a.
| 1917 A. G. Empey Over Top 304 Quartermaster-Sergeant, or ‘Quarter’ as he is called. A non-commissioned officer in a company who..takes charge of the company stores. 1963 M. Lowry Ultramarine ii. 60 Well, it's your business to get me up, quarter. |
c. pl. = quarter-finals (see sense 31 below).
| 1978 Guardian Weekly 5 Feb. 24/2 The other semi-final was disappointing. Roscoe Tanner..had upset Bjorn Borg in the quarters. 1978 Times 4 July 19/3, I had never won a match on grass at Wimbledon and here I am in the quarters. |
V. attrib. and
Comb. 28. a. General combs. (sense 1), as
quarter-barrel,
quarter-bottle,
quarter century,
quarter-ebb,
quarter-face,
quarter-flood,
quarter-hogshead,
quarter hour,
quarter-inch,
quarter litre,
quarter-look,
quarter-mile,
quarter pay,
quarter-pint,
quarter-rations,
quarter-size,
quarter truth (after
half-truth),
quarter-yard, etc.;
quarter-armed,
quarter-faced,
quarter-hourly,
quarter-striking,
quarter-witted (after
half-witted a.)
adjs.;
quarter-yearly adv.| 1881 F. Day Fishes Gt. Brit. & Ireland I. 239 Gasteroteus gymnurus... The *quarter-armed or smooth-tailed stickleback. |
| 1882 Ouida Maremma I. 245 There is a trifle of oil, a *quarter barrel. |
| 1907 Yesterday's Shopping (1969) 99/2 Saumur, sparkling..In original hampers of 1 Dozen *1/4 bots. 1915 H. G. Wells Boon ix. 333 One of those quarter-bottles of Perrier Jouet on a tray. 1977 J. R. L. Anderson Death in City v. 81, I ordered a quarter bottle of cognac. |
| 1902 Westm. Gaz. 21 July 4/1 To put the result in *quarter-century periods. 1920 H. G. Wells Outl. Hist. xxix. 265/2 The opening quarter century of the Christian era was troubled by a usurper. 1979 Bookseller 23 June 2818/1 The Warsaw Bookfair continues towards its quarter century. |
| c 1391 Chaucer Astrol. ii. §46 Wheþir it be..half or *quarter ebbe. 1626 Capt. Smith Accid. yng. Seamen 17 A spring tide, ebbe, a quarter ebbe, half ebbe. 1846 McCulloch Acc. Brit. Empire (1854) I. 251 Measured from the sea at quarter-ebb tide. |
| 1616 B. Jonson Forest xii, Let them still Turn upon scorned verse their *quarter-face. |
| 1833 Regul. Instr. Cavalry i. 33 Remain *quarter-faced to the right. |
| c 1391 Chaucer Astrol. ii. §46 Half flode or *quarter flode. 1626 Capt. Smith Accid. yng. Sea-men 17 [The sea] flowes quarter floud, high water, or a still water. 1801 Nelson 15 Aug. in Nicolas Disp. (1845) IV. 460 At last quarter-flood, at the Pier-head. |
| 1891 T. Hardy Tess xxxviii, The washing-tub stood..on the same old *quarter-hogshead. |
| 1883 ‘Mark Twain’ Life on Mississippi xxxvi. 392 My uneasy spirit kept dragging me back at *quarter-hour intervals. 1977 Detroit Free Press 11 Dec. 24-a/1 The head of the department [should] have at least..90 quarter hours of criminal justice courses completed. |
| 1929 J. Owen Shepherd & Child iv. 46 The church clock..had a *quarter-hourly chime. |
| 1890 W. J. Gordon Foundry 58 Nearly all of them are to a *quarter-inch scale. |
| 1978 J. Sherwood Limericks of Lachasse iv. 48 [He] had drunk only a *quarter-litre of light carafe wine. |
| 1636 Massinger Bashf. Lover i. i, Observe his posture But with a *quarter-look. |
| 1895 Westm. Gaz. 11 Jan. 5/2 A *quarter-mile straight race for professionals. |
| 1691 Luttrell Brief Rel. (1857) II. 275 The seamen shall be..kept in *quarter pay till spring. |
| 1744 Berkeley Let. to Hanmer 21 Aug. in Fraser Life viii. (1871) 299 You may take this quantity either in half-pint or *quarter-pint glasses. |
| 1856 Lever Martins of Cro' M. 201 A shipwrecked crew reduced to *quarter-rations. |
| 1889 Anthony's Photogr. Bull. II. 3 A *quarter-size ‘detective’ camera. |
| 1959 Times 6 Mar. 12/5 A Breguet gold and enamelled *quarter-striking, quarter-repeating clock watch. |
| 1977 Gay News 7–20 Apr. 22/2 It was such dangerously oversimplified *quarter-truths that led to the vilification of ―. 1979 Daily Tel. 12 Dec. 16 Mr Timothy Raison's article is a distressing collection of quarter truths and specious arguments. |
| 1864 A. Wallace Scottish Tales iii. 38 A *quarter-witted individual from Muthil. 1972 P. Green Shadow of Parthenon 128 They vaguely assume their young readers to be either quarter-witted miniature adults or innocent prelapsarian angels. |
| a 1400 Stockh. Med. MS. ii. 657 in Anglia XVIII. 323 His stalke is *quarter ȝerde longe. |
| 1795 Hamilton Wks. (1886) VII. 95 His allowance is at the rate of 25,000 dollars per annum 6,250 dollars *quarter-yearly. |
b. With names of coins, as
quarter-angel,
quarter-dollar,
quarter-ducat,
quarter-eagle,
quarter-florin,
quarter-guinea,
quarter-noble,
quarter-pound,
quarter-shekel,
quarter-shilling,
quarter-sovereign, etc.
| 1866 Crump Banking x. 223 *Quarter-angel. |
| 1837 H. Martineau Soc. Amer. II. 89 The lowest price..was a *quarter-dollar per acre. |
| 1639 Ford Lady's Trial v. i, Pistol a straggler for a *quarter-ducat. |
| 1874 Raymond 6th Rep. Mines 524 Eagles..Half-eagles..*Quarter-eagles. |
| 1707 Fleetwood Chron. Prec. 21 The *Quarter Floren he [Fabian] calls a Farthing, val is. viiid. |
| 1776 Ann. Reg. 140 *Quarter guineas more deficient in weight than..1 dwt. 8 grs. 1803 Hatchett in Phil. Trans. XCIII. 137 George I. a quarter-guinea. |
| 1866 Crump Banking x. 222 *Quarter-noble. |
| Ibid. 223 *Quarter-pound. |
| 1702 R. L'Estrange Josephus, Antiq. vi. v. (1733) 136 The Servants told him that he had a *Quarter-Sicle left yet. |
| 1561 Procl. Abassing Coynes in Stafford Exam. Complaints (1876) 101 The *Quarter shilling That was curraunt for iij d shalbe curraunt for ij d. |
† c. Artillery, denoting small sizes of certain pieces, as
quarter-cannon,
quarter-culverin,
quarter-slang,
quarter-sling.
Obs. (
Cf. half- II. d.)
| 1549 Compl. Scot. vi. 41 Mak reddy ȝour..slangis, & half slangis, quarter slangis. 1570 J. Drout Gaulfr. & Barn. (1844) C 2 Thy roaring cannons..Yea bases, foulers, quarter-slings. 1611 Florio, Quarto cannone, a quarter Cannon, which is but weakely fortifide or mettalled. 1684 J. Peter Siege Vienna 111 Quarter Cannon, each 12 pound 306. Ibid. 109 Quarter Culverin..26. |
d. With names of persons, as
quarter-carrier,
quarter-fairy,
quarter-ruler,
quarter-tyrant. Also
quartermaster n. 3.
| 1612 Shakes. & Fl. Two Noble K. i. ii. 108 Were he a *quarter carrier of that honour which His enemy comes in. |
| a 1634 Randolph Amyntas v. 6 They do caper Like *quarter Fairies at the least. |
| 1610 Healey St. Aug. Citie of God iv. xi. (1620) 160 A *quarter ruler with his brethren and sisters. |
| c 1640 J. Smyth Lives Berkeleys (1883) I. 116 The lawes..as some have written, were as *quarter-tirants. |
† 29. (Sense 8 a)
= ‘quarter's’, ‘quarterly’, as
quarter-allowance,
quarter-almoner,
quarter-feast,
quarter-fee,
quarter-salary,
quarter-sermon,
quarter-service,
quarter-supper. Also
quarter-day, -sessions, -waiter.
| 1727 Boyer Dict. Fr.-Angl., Quartier,..*Quarter-allowance. |
| 1599 Sandys Europæ Spec. 9 With an eye perhaps that themselves would be his *quarter Almoners. |
| 1609 B. Jonson Silent Woman ii. ii, It is his *quarter-feast, sir. |
| 1615 J. Stephens Satyr. Ess. 11 Clearkes and other knaves..Will take a pention or a *quarter-fee. |
| 1583 Stubbes Anat. Abus. ii. (1882) 77 Preaching their *quarter sermons themselues. |
| a 1555 Latimer Serm. & Rem. (1845) 243 Any services in your churches, either trental, *quarter-service, or other. |
| 1592 in Acts Priv. Counc. N.S. XXII. 564 Irysche customes as..*Quartersupers called Quidraighe. |
30. Naut. (sense 22 a) as
quarter-badge,
quarter-bitt,
quarter-boat,
quarter-check,
quarter-davits,
quarter-fast,
quarter-knee (
knee n. 7 a),
quarter-netting,
quarter-port,
quarter-rail,
quarter-railing,
quarter-stanchions (
cf. quots.). See also
quarter-board,
-cloth,
-ladder,
-timbers in 31, and
quarter-gallery, -line, -piece, -wind.
| 1807 Robinson Archæol. Græca iv. xiv. 390 To the ἀκροστόλια in the prow answered the ἄϕλαστα, *quarter-badges, in the stern. 1867 Smyth Sailor's Word-bk., Quarter-badge, artificial galleries; a carved ornament near the stern of those vessels which have no quarter-galleries. |
| 1805 E. Berry 13 Oct. in Nicolas Disp. (1846) VII. 118 note, I ordered the weather *quarter-boat to be cut away. 1840 R. H. Dana Bef. Mast vi. 13 The watch on deck were lowering away the quarter-boat. |
| 1833 Marryat P. Simple (1863) 41 Request that he will cast off the *quarter check. 1898 J. Conrad Nigger of Narcissus 246 Let go your quarter-checks!.. The ropes splashed heavily, falling in the water. |
| 1867 Smyth Sailor's Word-bk., *Quarter-davits, pieces of iron or timber with sheaves or blocks at their outer ends, projecting from a vessel's quarters, to hoist boats up to. |
| 1846 A. Young Naut. Dict. 117 Fast, a rope or chain by which a vessel is secured to a wharf or quay. They are called bow, head, *quarter, and stern fasts. |
| 1941 C. O'Brien Sea-Boats, Oars, & Sails ii. 22 Breast⁓hook and *quarter-knees..connect the gunwales with the stem and transom respectively. |
| 1769 Falconer Dict. Marine (1780), *Quarter-Netting, a sort of net-work, extended along the rails on the upper part of a ship's quarter. 1867 Smyth Sailor's Word-bk., Quarter-Nettings, the place alloted on the quarters for the stowage of hammocks. |
| Ibid., *Quarter-ports, those made in the after side-timbers and especially in round-stern vessels. |
| 1769 Falconer Dict. Marine (1780), *Quarter-rails, are narrow-moulded planks, generally of fir, reaching from the top of the stern to the gangway. c 1850 Rudim. Navig. (Weale) 139 Quarter-rails, rails fixed into stanchions from the stern to the gangway, and serving as a fence. |
| 1809 W. Irving Knickerb. (1861) 200 Anthony..was leaning over the *quarter-railing of the galley. 1860 Longfellow Wayside Inn, Saga K. Olaf xx, He sat concealed,..behind the quarter-railing. |
| 1846 A. Young Naut. Dict. 243 *Quarter-stanchions, strong stanchions in the quarters of a square-sterned vessel, one of which forms the outmost boundary of the stern on either side: it connects the main rail with the taffrail; [etc.]. |
31. Special combs., as
quarter-ail = quarter-ill;
† quarter-ale, an ‘ale’ or festival held by the people of a certain quarter (? or quarterly);
quarter-angled a., at a quarter of a right angle; also
Her. = quadrate a. 5;
quarter-aspect, quartile-aspect (Worcester 1860, citing Brande);
quarter-ball Billiards, a ball that strikes another so that a quarter of the one overlaps a quarter of the other;
† quarter-basin,
Sc. (?);
quarter-bell, a bell in a clock which sounds the quarters;
quarter-bend, a section of pipe bent into a quarter-circle (Knight
Dict. Mech. Suppl. 1884);
quarter-bill,
Naut. (see
quot.);
quarter-binding, a style of bookbinding with narrow leather back and no leather corners; now also, this style of binding using materials other than leather;
quarter-blanket, a small blanket for a horse's back (Knight);
quarter-block,
Naut. a block fitted under the quarter of a yard;
quarter-bloke Mil. slang, a quartermaster(-sergeant);
quarter-blood U.S., one whose descent is only one fourth derived from the blood of a particular race (
esp. Amer. Indian) or breed; also as
quasi-adj.;
† quarter-blow (
cf. quarter 26 a, and
quarter-stroke);
quarter-board,
† some kind of board used in carpentry; also
Naut. in
pl. (see
quot. 1846);
quarter-boat U.S., a boat containing living quarters for river workmen;
† quarter-book, ? a book containing quarterly accounts;
quarter-boot, a leather boot used to protect the heels of a horse's fore-feet from being injured by the hind feet (Knight);
quarter-bound a., in Bookbinding (see
quarter-binding);
quarter-boy, a quarter-jack in the form of a boy;
quarter-bred, (
a) of animals: having one fourth good blood (Ogilvie, 1882); (
b)
N.Z. = quarterback n. 1; also
attrib. or as adj.;
quarter-breed U.S., the offspring of a half-breed and a white; a quarter-blood; also
attrib.;
† quarter-bullet (see
quot.);
quarter-butt, in Billiards, a cue smaller than the
half-butt;
quarter-calf = quarter-binding (in calf);
quarter-cask, (
a) a quarter-hogshead; (
b) a quarter-butt;
† quarter-cast,
a. of a horse (see
quot.);
quarter-caste Austral. and
N.Z., a person of mixed breed, having one-quarter Aboriginal or Maori and three-quarters white descent; also
attrib.;
quarter-chord Aeronaut., a quarter of the length of a chord of an aerofoil,
spec. such a distance measured backwards from the leading edge;
freq. attrib., as
quarter-chord line,
quarter point;
quarter-clock, a clock that strikes the quarters;
quarter-cloth, (
a)
Naut. (see
quot.); (
b)
= quarter-blanket;
quarter-coal, a periodical allowance of coal made to miners (Gresley
Gloss. Coal-mining 1883);
quarter-column,
Mil. (see
quots.);
† quarter-cord,
Mining (see
quot. 1747);
quarter-course,
U.S., a quarter-mile racing-course;
quarter-crack, a crack on the inner quarter of a horse's fore-hoof (
Syd. Soc. Lex. 1897);
† quarter-curtsey, a slight curtsey;
quarter-cut, plank cut to a quarter of an inch in thickness;
quarter-distance,
Mil. a distance intermediate between half and close distance;
quarter-elliptic(al) adjs., applied to a leaf spring having the profile of a quarter of an ellipse;
quarter-finals pl., the four matches constituting the round before the semi-finals in a tournament; also
sing., one of these four matches; also
attrib.;
quarter-fishes [
fish n.2],
Naut. ‘stout pieces of wood hooped on to a mast to strengthen it’ (
Cent. Dict.);
† quarter-foot = quarter-hoof;
† quarter-four, (?);
quarter-galley,
Naut. ‘a Barbary cruiser’ (Smyth);
quarter girth measure,
Hoppus measure;
quarter-grain, the grain of wood in the plane of the medullary fibres and radially from the centre, shown when a log is quartered;
† quarter-ground (Isle of Man)
= quarterland;
† quarter-head, a brad or flat-nail with a bill or projection at the head;
† quarter-heel = quarter 20 c;
quarter-hollow, a concave moulding, having an arc which is approximately a quadrant; also
attrib., or adj., as in
quarter-hollow tool (
Cent. Dict. 1891);
† quarter-hoof, ? a hoof with one of the quarters cut (
cf. quarter-cast);
quarter-hoop, a hoop on the quarter of a cask; also
attrib.;
quarter-hung a., of a gun: having trunnions with their axis below the line of bore (Knight);
quarter-in-the-slot a. U.S., actuated by the fall of a quarter inserted through a slot (in a machine) (
cf. penny-in-the-slot s.v. penny 12 b);
quarter-iron, a boom-iron on the quarter of a yard;
quarter-ladder,
Naut. (see
quots.);
quarter leather = quarter-binding (in leather);
quarter-left,
Mil. one quarter of a right-angle towards the left;
quarter-light, (
a) a side-window in the body of a close carriage, as distinct from the door-light; (
b) a small triangular side-window on a motor vehicle for ventilation and the admission of light; also
attrib.;
quarter-miler, one who is good at running a quarter-mile race;
quarter-moon, (
a) a crescent moon; also
attrib.; (
b)
= quadrature 4 b;
† quarter-night, the time when a quarter of the night has passed;
quarter-note,
Mus. (
a)
= quarter-tone; (
b)
U.S. a crochet; also
attrib. as
quarter-note rest;
quarter-pace, a resting-place or landing on a stair, containing a quadrant or ‘quarter-turn’;
quarter-partition, a partition whose framework is made of quarters;
quarter peal Bell-ringing, a peal comprising one quarter of the number of changes in a full peal;
quarter-pierced a.,
Her. (see
quots.);
quarter-plate, a photographic plate measuring 3
1/
4 × 4
1/
4 inches; also, a photograph taken on a plate of this size; also
attrib.;
quarter-ply a. (?);
quarter-point,
Naut. = quarter 10 b;
quarter-pointed a.,
Her. (see
quot.);
quarter pole,
U.S. a pole marking the quarter-mile on a race-course;
quarter-quibble, ? a poor or weak quibble;
quarter-race,
U.S., a quarter-mile race;
quarter-racing U.S., the holding of quarter-races; also
attrib.;
quarter-rack, a rack which regulates the striking of the quarters in a clock;
† quarter-ranger, ? the ranger or keeper of a certain quarter;
quarter-repeater, a repeater-watch which strikes the quarters;
quarter-rest,
Mus. a rest equal in time to a quarter-note, a crotchet-rest (
Cent. Dict.);
quarter-right,
Mil. one quarter of a right angle towards the right;
† quarter-road, an ordinary road with quarters separated by horse-track and ruts;
quarter-round, a convex moulding having an outline of a quarter-circle, an ovolo or echinus; also
attrib., or adj., as
quarter-round tool;
† quarter-sack, a sack capable of holding a quarter of grain;
quarter-saw v. trans., to saw (a log) radially into quarters; to produce (a board) by quarter sawing;
quarter-sawed a., of wood: quartered;
quarter sawing vbl. n., the method or action of producing boards by sawing a log radially into quarters and then sawing each quarter into boards so that the growth rings make angles of greater than 45° with the faces of the boards;
quarter-sawn ppl. a.;
quarter-screw, one of the four screws in a compensation balance by which the watch is regulated;
quarter-seal, a seal pertaining to the Chancery of Scotland, having the shape and impression of a fourth part of the Great Seal;
quarter-section (
U.S. and Canada), a quarter of a square mile of land, 160 acres;
quarter-sights, sights engraved on the base-ring of a cannon in quarter degrees (Smyth);
quarter-slings,
Naut. (see
quot.);
quarter-snail (see
quot.);
quarter-space = quarter-pace (Nicholson, 1823);
† quarter-spells, some game;
quarter-square, the fourth part of the square of a number;
quarter stretch U.S., (a part of) a racecourse that is a quarter of a mile long;
quarter-stroke,
† (
a)
= quarter-blow; (
b) the stroke with which a clock marks the quarters;
quarter-stuff, (
a)
= quarter-timber b; (
b)
= quarter-cut (Knight);
quarter-tackle,
Naut. (see
quot.);
† quarter-tale, reckoning (grain) by quarters;
quarter-timber,
† (
a) quartered timber; (
b) timber in the form of quarters (sense 19); (
c)
Naut. in
pl. (see
quot. 1846);
quarter-tonal a., based on quarter tones; so
quarter-tonality;
quarter-tone,
Mus. one half of a semitone;
quarter-track, (
a)
= quarter-course; (
b) a track recorded on magnetic tape so that four such tracks can be accommodated side by side;
usu. attrib.; also as
adv., using this width of tape;
quarter-turn, (
a) a rifle in which the shot makes a quarter of a revolution in the length of the barrel; (
b) a bend of a quarter of a circle; also
attrib.; also as
v. trans. and intr.; also
quarter-turning vbl. n. (see
quot. 1901);
quarter-twist = prec. a;
quarter-vine, an American vine (
Bignonia capreolata), the stem of which readily divides into quarters (
Cent. Dict.);
† quarter-voided a.,
Her. = quarter-pierced;
quarter-watch,
Naut. a ship's watch composed of one-fourth of the crew;
quarter-wave a. Physics, having a thickness or a length equal to a quarter of the wavelength transmitted or received;
quarter-wave plate, a plate of a birefringent substance cut parallel to the optic axis and of such a thickness that it introduces a time difference of a quarter of a period between ordinary and extraordinary rays passing normally through it;
quarter-wheeling, turning through a quarter of a circle;
† quarter-wood = quarter-timber.
| 1797 J. Billingsley View Agric., Somerset 249 A disorder provincially called the *quarter-ail, which is a mortification beginning at the hock. |
| 1574 Proviso in Lease in Worsley Hist. Isle Wight 210 If the Quarter shall need..to make a *Quarter-Ale, or Church-Ale. |
| 1775 Adair Amer. Ind. 269 Rushed off with impetuous violence, on a *quarter-angled course. |
| 1873 J. Bennett Billiards 34 If the half of one overlaps the half of the other, it is a half ball; and so on for a *quarter ball. Anything less than a quarter ball is called a fine ball. |
| 179. Burns Lass Ecclefechan i, A mickle *quarter basin. |
| 1872 Ellacombe Bells of Ch. in Ch. Bells Devon viii. 393 The four *quarter bells were cast. |
| 1769 Falconer Dict. Marine (1780), *Quarter-Bill, a roll, or list, containing the different stations, to which all the officers and crew of the ship are quartered, in the time of battle, and the names of all the persons appointed to those stations. |
| 1912 Monk & Lawrence Text Bk. of Stationery Binding 140 *Quarter binding. 55. 1932 A. F. Collins Book Crafts for Schools iii. 27 ‘Quarter-binding’..has the stronger material..on the back, and the weaker material..on the sides. 1978 A. W. Johnson Thames & Hudson Man. Bookbinding 216 Quarter binding, an economical covering method in which the spine and part of the sides are covered in one material and a cheaper one is used on the remainder. |
| 1794 Rigging & Seamanship I. 157 Thick-and-thin, or *Quarter block, is a double block..used to lead down the topsail-sheets and clue-lines. c 1860 H. Stuart Seaman's Catech. 38 Topsail sheets when made of chain are rove through gins instead of quarter blocks. |
| 1919 Athenæum 1 Aug. 695/2 The Q.M.S. (the colour-sergeant or ‘Flag’ of the Old Army) is always called the ‘*Quarter Bloke’ or ‘The Bloke’. 1920 Punch 18 Aug. 137/2 It's great.. To eat a daintier kind of grub than quarter-blokes provide. 1944 Gen 30 Dec. 55/2 Nickly overstepped the mark when he suggested to the quarter-bloke..that he was flogging the rations. 1950 C. MacInnes To Victors Spoils i. 21 I'll drop back there and talk to his quarter-bloke. |
| 1845 Knickerbocker Mar. 236 Of this description was a *quarter-blood [sc. Indian], of great beauty. 1873 J. H. Beadle Undevel. West xix. 355 He had four children, only quarter-blood, but differing very much in shade. 1878 ― Western Wilds ii. 26 The straight black hair, and nose just aquiline enough to give piquancy to the countenance, indicated the quarter⁓blood. 1943 Sun (Baltimore) 11 Dec. 11/5 Medium shorn domestic fleeces have had a further small sale, mostly quarter-blood. |
| 1555 W. Watreman Fardle Facions ii. x. 221 Thei [Tartares] fighte all with a *quarter blow, and neither right downe, ne foyning. 1589 Greene Menaphon (Arb.) 85 Breaking a few quarter blowes with such countrey glances as they coulde. 1638 Heywood Wise Wom. iv. Wks. 1874 V. 330, I had my wards, and foynes, and quarter-blowes. |
| 1452 in Willis & Clark Cambridge (1886) I. 282 The selyng boord..shalbe *quartere borde an inche thyk. 1497 Naval Acc. Hen. VII (1896) 296 Sawyng of certeyn tymbre into plankes [&] quarterbordes. 1548 Privy Council Acts (1890) II. 174 Quarter boord, iijml. 1846 A. Young Naut. Dict. 242 Quarter-Boards or Top-gallant Quarter-Boards, a thin bulwark boarding, forming an additional height to the bulwarks at the after part of a vessel. They also get the name of Topgallant bulwarks. |
| 1929 Sun (Baltimore) 23 Oct. 1/3 The President and his immediate party left Cincinnati..aboard the Greenbrier..and three other light craft—*quarter boats, they are called—for the remaining members of the party. 1962 A. Davison In Wake of Gemini 228 A quarterboat is an operational center for the maintenance and repair department of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Mississippi River Commission. |
| 1679–88 Secr. Serv. Money Chas. & Jas. (Camden) 146 His allowance..for returning the *quarter books to S{supr} Edmund Turner. |
| 1888 C. T. Jacobi Printer's Vocab. 108 *Quarter bound, books bound with back only in leather. 1929 A. J. Vaughan Mod. Bookbinding ii. 121 (caption) A Quarter Bound Book. Ibid. iv. 217 Quarter Bound, where the back and some portion of the sides only of the binding consist of one material, and the remainder of the sides of another. 1960 G. A. Glaister Gloss. Bk. 338/1 Quarter-bound: a book bound with either leather spine and cloth sides, or cloth spine and paper sides. 1979 London Rev. Bks. 25 Oct. 11/2 (Advt.), Quarter-bound in leather. |
| 1826 Southey Vind. Eccl. Angl. 260 The machinery..by which his own *quarter-boys in Fleet-street perform their office. 1900 Academy 28 Apr. 365/1 The grotesque ‘quarter-boys’—corpulent cherubs on either side of the clock—beat the quarters on the dial. |
| 1891 R. Wallace Rural Econ. Austral. & N.Z. xviii. 259 In 1890, the better portion of the greasy *quarter-bred wool fetched 1s. 2½d. a 1948 L. G. D. Acland Early Canterbury Runs (1951) 370 Comeback, a sheep three-quarters merino and one quarter long wool..but in New Zealand I think these sheep are often called quarterbreds or quarter⁓backs. |
| 1826 T. L. McKenney Sk. Tour to Lakes (1827) 387 Three were full blood, the remainder half breeds, and *quarter breeds. 1880 Harper's Mag. Dec. 31 All four were of mixed blood their mother having been a beautiful French quarter-breed. 1909 Lady's Realm Feb. 465/1 El-Soo was a full-blooded Indian, yet she exceeded all the half-breed and quarter-breed girls. She was a treasure. |
| 1627 Capt. Smith Seaman's Gram. xiv. 69 *Quarter Bullets is..any bullet quartered in foure or eight parts. |
| 1873 Bennett & Cavendish Billiards 27 The cue-butt or *quarter-butt is larger in diameter than the cue, about 5 feet long, and leathered at the bottom. |
| 1956 Library XI. 81 The binding has no corner⁓pieces; and so is properly called ‘*quarter-calf’. |
| 1711–2 Advt. in Spectator (1891) 904, 22 Hogsheads and 3 *quarter Casks of new Bene-Carlos Barcelona Wine..at..5l. per Hogshead and 25s. per Quarter Cask. |
| 1727 Bailey vol. II, *Quarter-cast (with Horsemen), a Horse is said to cast his Quarter, where for any Disorder in the Coffin, there is a Necessity to cut one of the Quarters of the Hoof. |
| 1948 D. Ballantyne Cunninghams i. i. 6 Being up the duff to a young *quarter-caste..was no joke. 1952 R. Finlayson Schooner came to Atia x. 51 The crew with the exception of the quartercaste mate were all Maori. 1966 Times 28 Mar. (Austral. Suppl.) p. ix/4 Aboriginal people..vary from full-bloods to quarter-castes. 1976 Times Lit. Suppl. 9 Apr. 417/1 Prindy, an eight-year-old quarter-caste who sees himself as purely aboriginal, in spite of his fair hair and grey eyes. 1979 Church Times 9 Mar. 4/3 Bishop Reeves is a ‘quarter-caste’ Maori and a graduate of St. Peter's College, Oxford. |
| 1946 Jrnl. R. Aeronaut. Soc. L. 436/2 The centre of pressure is at the half-chord instead of approximately at the *quarter-chord point. 1947 C. F. Toms Introd. Aeronaut. i. 26 The quarter-point of the mean chords lies very nearly on the quarter-chord line of the wing. 1957 L. L. Beckford A.B.C. of Aeronaut. 98/2 This angle, known as Sweep Back, is measured between the lateral axis and a line drawn a quarter-chord back from the leading edges. 1959 J. L. Nayler Dict. Aeronaut. Engin. 207 The quarter-chord line is the line joining the quarter points of the chords across the span of the wing. 1967 Jane's Surface Skimmer Syst. 1967–68 12/1 Aerofoil section NACA 0009. Sweepback at quarter-chord 30°. |
| 1626 Donne Serm. lxxiii. 748 There was never heard *Quarter-clock to strike. 1884 F. J. Britten Watch & Clockm. 217 [A] Quarter Clock..[is] a clock that strikes or chimes at the quarter hours. |
| 1769 Falconer Dict. Marine (1780), *Quarter-cloths, long pieces of painted canvas, extended on the outside of the quarter-netting from the upper part of the gallery to the gangway. 1894 Field 9 June 828/3 The names of his two horses embroidered on the quarter cloths. |
| 1879 Cassell's Techn. Educ. IV. 218/2 The *quarter-column is the formation..most employed when large bodies of troops are working together. 1884 St. James's Gaz. 21 Aug. 5/2 A battalion of eight companies in quarter-column, that is, in column of companies one behind the other. |
| 1747 Hooson Miner's Dict. Q ij b, *Quartercord [is] a Measure used in laying out of Flats, 'tis a superficial Measure, and one fourth part of a Mear; it is a Square, each side being seven Yards and one Quarter long. 1851 Tapping Gloss. Mining Terms (E.D.S.), s.v., So long as a mine is wrought..everything upon the quarter cord belongs to the miner. |
| 1885 Century Mag. XXX. 397/2 ‘*Quarter-courses’ usually consisted of two parallel paths, and were run by two horses at a time. |
| 1753 Smollett Ct. Fathom (1784) 147/1 A *quarter curtsey, or slight inclination of the head. |
| 1895 Westm. Gaz. 30 Mar. 3/1 The skin of..all kinds of racing eights, is known as ‘*quarter cut’. |
| 1796 Instr. & Reg. Cavalry (1813) 164 The rear..[divisions] quicken their march, and close up to *quarter distance. 1842 Alison Hist. Europe (1849–50) XIV. xciv. §7. 7 They were drawn up in two lines, but the enemy chiefly in quarter-distance columns. |
| 1926 C. T. B. Donkin Elem. Motor Vehicle Design xviii. 253 The bending moment in the chassis frame set up by the reactions of a *quarter-elliptic spring is very considerable, and the type is seldom used for heavy cars except in the form of a short subsidiary spring. 1963 Bird & Hutton-Stott Veteran Motor Car 53 The characteristic reversed quarter-elliptic rear springs appear on the 5-litre model. |
| 1909 R. W. A. Brewer Motor Car xiv. 140 When *quarter-elliptical springs are used they may be either shackled to the side springs or pinned to them direct. |
| 1927 Daily Express 28 July 1/5 Miss Helen Jacobs..scored a signal success in the *quarter-finals of the Essex County Invitation Tournament. 1932 News Chron. 23 Sept. 2/4 The quarter-finals of the Canadian Women's Open Golf Championship. 1941 G. Marx Let. 23 June (1967) 27 Art plays Frank Parker in the quarterfinals of the 55th Annual Los Angeles Tournament. 1976 Lancs. Even. Post 7 Dec. 15/5 Morecambe's quarter final game at Runcorn is a vital one. 1977 Whitaker's Almanack 1978 583/2 Newcastle United were fined {pstlg}4000..for fielding a weakened team in the quarter⁓final of the Anglo-Scottish Cup. |
| 1711 Lond. Gaz. No. 4888/4 A *quarter Foot the near Foot behind. |
| 1776 G. Semple Building in Water 66 A nine Foot Pantile-lath or a *Quarter-four. |
| 1745 P. Thomas Voy. S. Seas 58 We found here in the Road..two *Quarter Galleys. 1867 [see half-galley]. |
| [1894 W. Stevenson Wood 194 The Hoppus measure by string, quarter girth..on round timber, is an overmeasure in favour of the buyer.] 1924 *Quarter girth [see Hoppus]. 1954 W. E. Hiley Woodland Managem. ix. 127 Quarter girth or ‘hoppus’ measure. The volume of a felled log is determined by its length and the area of the cross section half way along it. The length is measured by a long tape,..and the middle girth by a specially marked short tape, known as a quarter-girth tape. |
| 1703 T. N. City & C. Purchaser 187 The *Quarter-grain..is that Grain which is seen to run in straight Lines towards the Pitch. 1825 J. Nicholson Operat. Mechanic 612 Clear them [laths] into thicknesses by the quarter grain. |
| 1593 Statutes Isle Man (1821) 76 To pay for every *Quarter Ground in respect of their..Custom Turves. |
| 1703 T. N. City & C. Purchaser 35 *Quarter-heads, or Bill-brads for soft Wood-floors. |
| 1727 A. Hamilton New Acc. E. Ind. I. vii. 67 Their Shoes..very low and stiff at the *Quarter-heels. |
| 1713 Lond. Gaz. No. 5148/12 A *Quarter-hoof on one of his hind Feet. |
| 1885 Census Instruct., *Quarter Hoop Maker, Bender, Shaver. |
| 1903 R. L. McCardell Conversat. Chorus Girl 80 Mama de Branscombe had a *quarter-in-the slot gas meter put in. |
| c 1860 H. Stuart Seaman's Catech. 75 On each quarter is a *quarter-iron that opens with a hinge to allow the topmast studding sail booms to be raised or lowered. |
| 1769 Falconer Dict. Marine (1789), *Quarter-Ladders, two ladders of rope, depending from the right and left side of a ship's stern. 1867 Smyth Sailor's Word-bk., Quarter-Ladder, from the quarter-deck to the poop. |
| 1938 L. M. Harrod Librarians' Gloss. 124 *Quarter leather. A term used to describe a book with a leather spine and cloth sides. 1963 B. C. Middleton Hist. Eng. Craft Bookbinding Technique xi. 160 It was not uncommon on the Continent in the Middle Ages for books to be bound in quarter-leather. |
| 1832 Regul. Instr. Cavalry iii. 93 The..command will be given, Squadrons..*Quarter or Half Left. |
| 1881 Daily News 15 Sept. 3/2 The engine..struck the side of the three last carriages..smashed a number of the ‘*quarter lights’. 1890 W. J. Gordon Foundry 157 The thick glass in the quarter-lights, the thinner plate in the door-lights, are not bought for nothing. 1938 Times 13 Oct. 8/4 The quarter lights are taken as far aft as possible. 1972 Police Rev. 8 Dec. 1588/2 The campaign includes 200,000 posters, 1½ million car quarter-light stickers, and 250,000 shop-window stickers. 1976 ‘Z. Stone’ Modigliani Scandal iii. i. 113 He..[was] driving with the quarter⁓light open and enjoying the fresh air. |
| 1899 Daily News 19 July 6/5 The *quarter-miler was only just leading. |
| 1601 Holland Pliny I. 121 With horned points like to a *quarter moone. 1665–6 Phil. Trans. I. 55 The Course of irregular Tides about the Quartermoons. 1947 L. P. Hartley Eustace & Hilda v. 91 The quarter-moon was resting on the roofs. 1977 A. Desai in P. Collenette Winter's Tales 23 19 He..went about dividing the melon into quarter⁓moon portions. |
| c 1386 Chaucer Miller's T. 330 A Monday next, at *quarter-night, Shall fall a reyn. |
| 1763 J. Brown Poetry & Mus. v. 63 *Quarter-Notes;..an Interval which no human Ear can precisely distinguish. 1773 Barrington Singing of Birds in Phil. Trans. LXIII. 264 Such a minute interval..when a quarter-note for example might be required. 1958 Quarter note [see eighth a. 3]. 1959 Westrup & Harrison Collins Music Encycl. 524/1 Quarter-note, American for ‘crotchet’. |
| 1825 J. Nicholson Operat. Mechanic 594 Where the height of a story is considerable, resting places are necessary, which go under the name of *quarter-paces, and half-paces, according as the passenger..has to describe a quadrant or semi-circle. |
| 1858 Skyring's Builders' Prices (ed. 48) 13 The Plates and Braces in *Quarter Partitions must be added. 1842–59 Gwilt Archit. (ed. 4) §2024 The scantlings of the timbers of a quarter partition should vary according to the extent of bearing. |
| 1888 A. P. Heywood Treat. on ‘Duffield’ vii. 53 (heading) (1296) *Quarter peal. 1931 E. Morris Hist. & Art Change-Ringing iii. 53 The above twice repeated will come round at the quarter peal end. 1980 Times 7 Apr. 3/1 Bellringers at the parish church rang a quarter peal. |
| 1678 Phillips (ed. 4), *Quarter Pierced, in Heraldry is when there is a hole of a square form made in the middle of a Cross. 1893 Cussans Her. (ed. 4) 63 The Cross..If..that part where the limbs are conjoined be removed, it is termed Quarterly-pierced. A Cross with a square aperture in its centre, smaller than the last example, is Quarter-pierced. |
| 1890 Anthony's Photogr. Bull. III. 273 A ‘half-plate’ or a ‘*quarter-plate’ lens. Ibid., A beginner buying his first quarter-plate outfit. |
| 1856 Olmsted Slave States 3 Three yards of ragged and faded *quarter-ply carpeting. |
| 1727–41 Chambers Cycl. s.v. Point, Half of that, or 2° 48{p} 3/4, [is] a *quarter point. 1769 Falconer Dict. Marine (1789), The quarter-points of the Compass..are distinguished..by the word by. 1840 Marryat Olla Podr. III. 26 How was it possible that a man could navigate a ship with only one quarter point of the compass in his head? |
| 1825–9 W. Berry Encycl. Her., *Quarter-pointed,..extending from dexter chief towards the base, and terminated in the fesse point. It..is just one-fourth part of a partition per saltier. |
| 1857 *Quarter pole [see peanut boy s.v. peanut 3 a]. 1868 H. Woodruff Trotting Horse xxxi. 259 At the quarter-pole she had recovered her stroke. 1894 Outing (U.S.) XXIV. 142/2 Held his place until the quarter-pole was reached. 1975 New Yorker 3 Mar. 73/1 Susan's Girl..led past the quarter pole. |
| 1663 Dryden Wild Gallant i. i. Wks. 1882 II. 35 A bare clinch will serve the turn; a carwichet, a *quarter-quibble, or a pun. 1729 T. Cooke Tales, etc. 96 Quarter-quibbles made his Heart right glad. |
| 1792 Descr. Kentucky 12 His time is employed in *quarter-races, cock-fights. 1885 Century Mag. XXX. 397/2 In North Carolina..quarter-races were much esteemed. |
| 1784 J. F. D. Smyth Tour in U.S. I. ii. 22 In the southern part of the colony and in North Carolina, they are much attached to *Quarter racing, which is always a match between two horses, to run one quarter of a mile streight [sic] out. 1889 Harper's Mag. Sept. 554/1 Foot-racing for the men and quarter-racing for the horses. 1974 New Yorker 29 Apr. 83/2 His journey into the center of the quarter⁓racing world. |
| 1884 F. J. Britten Watch & Clockm. 219 The *quarter rack..falls against the bent arm of the hour rack hook. |
| a 1613 Overbury Characters, Sargeant Wks. (1856) 163 The gallowes are his purlues, in which the hangman and hee are the *Quarter-rangers. |
| 1884 F. J. Britten Watch & Clockm. 224 In a *quarter repeater the last hour is struck, and afterwards the number of quarters that have elapsed since. |
| 1832 Regul. Instr. Cavalry ii. 72 The Troops..wheel *quarter right. Ibid. 90 The previous command is given, Squadrons quarter or half-right. |
| 1767 A. Young Lett. to People 282 A broad-wheel waggon will go in any *quarter-road. |
| 1706 Phillips (ed. Kersey), Echinus..is termed..Ovolo by the Italians; but the English Workmen commonly call it the *Quarter-round. 1753 Hogarth Anal. Beauty xii. 171 Let us observe the ‘ovolo’, or quarter-round, in a cornice. 1851 Turner Dom. Archit. II. vi. 272 The arches and purlins are well moulded, with the quarter round and fillet. 1963 C. R. Cowell et al. Inlays, Crowns, & Bridges iii. 23 A quarter-round bur for contra-angle handpieces is used to cut 2-mm. pinholes. 1975 New Yorker 24 Feb. 56/3 He..addressed the axe to the quarter-round log. |
| 15.. Merie Tales of Skelton S.'s Wks. 1843 I. p. lxx, The miller hauying a great *quarter sacke. a 1661 Fuller Worthies, Cambridge i. (1662) 156 Quarter-sacks were here first used, men commonly carrying..eight bushels of Barly. |
| 1898 S. B. Green Forestry in Minnesota 299 *Quarter-sawing... The log is first quartered and then sawed into boards, cutting then alternately from each face of the quarter of the log. 1907 Webster, Quarter-saw, v.t.; -sawed or -sawn. 1931 Harper's Mag. June 62/1 No one rived the beams for his ceiling, or quarter-sawed oak for his chairs. 1934 Archit. Rev. LXXVI. 64/1 When logs are riven or quarter-sawn the large rays which form the silver grain are revealed to the fullest extent. 1966 A. W. Lewis Gloss. Woodworking Terms 74 Quarter-sawn boards shrink less and are less liable to warp than other boards. 1968 Quarter sawing [see rift sawing s.v. rift n.2 4]. 1974 Islander (Victoria, B.C.) 29 Dec. 15/2 When the logs have reached the proper degree of dryness staves will be quarter sawn from them. That is, the flat boards will radiate out from the centre of the log like segments of an orange. |
| 1884 F. J. Britten Watch & Clockm. 25 Drawing out the *quarter screws of the balance nearest the fast position..and setting in the ones nearest to slow position. |
| 1706 Act 6 Anne c. 11 Art. xxiv, The privy seal..*quarter seal and seals of Courts now used in Scotland. |
| 1806 Deb. Congress U.S. (1852) 9th Congress 2 Sess., App. 1032 The public lands are now sold in sections, half sections, and *quarter sections. 1879 Disraeli Sp. 18 Sept. 2/3 Every man of fair character who comes to Canada, has a right..to obtain what is called a quarter-section of land. 1882 Contemp. Rev. Aug. 233 Each township, section, and quarter-section..marked off by mounds and posts. |
| 1876 Voyle & Stevenson Milit. Dict. 385/2 In smooth-bore guns, *quarter-sights are cut on the upper quarter of the base ring, and numbered up to 3°. |
| 1867 Smyth Sailor's Word-bk., *Quarter-Slings, are supports attached to a yard or other spar at one or both sides of (but not in) its centre. |
| 1884 F. J. Britten Watch & Clockm. 219 [The] *Quarter Snail..[is] the snail used in the quarter part of clocks and repeating watches. |
| 1448 in Bacon Ann. Ipswich 105 John Lackford accused for cheating at Games called Whistilds, Prelleds, and *Quarter spells. |
| 1841 Penny Cycl. XIX. 199/2 A table which gives the squares of the halves of numbers will, by the addition of the squares of the halves or *quarter-squares, give the product. |
| 1834 Southern Lit. Messenger I. 182/1, I pulled and pulled till I got out of sight, and turned down the *quarter stretch. 1883 H. Watterson Oddities Southern Life 439 He ran a quarter stretch down the low grounds of the base. |
| 1559 J. Aylmer Harborowe H, They must know their *quarter strookes, and the waye how to defende their head. 1589 Marprel. Epit. D ij, Such a precher..as this, would quickly with his quarter strokes, ouerturne al religion. 1780 Cowper Table Talk 531 The clock-work tintinnabulum of rhyme,..such mere quarter-strokes are not for me. |
| 1712 J. James tr. Le Blond's Gardening 71 They make use..of *Quarter-Stuff for large Plinths and Facias. 1799 Naval Chron. II. 389 Timber.., blocks, quarterstuff, candles. |
| 1815 Falconer's Mar. Dict. (ed. Burney), *Quarter-tackle, a strong tackle fixed occasionally upon the quarter of the main- or fore-yard, to hoist boats and heavy packages into and out of the ship. |
| 1641 Best Farm. Bks. (Surtees) 132 For burying of Corne by *Quarter-tayle..to have 6d. a quarter for barley, 4d. a quarter for oates. |
| 1601 Holland Pliny I. 488 The *quarter timber, or that which runneth with foure grains, is simply the best. 1846 A. Young Naut. Dict. 243 Quarter-timbers, the framing timbers in a vessel's quarter. |
| 1934 S. R. Nelson All about Jazz i. 13 Maddening is that persistent beat of the tom-toms and these *quarter-tonal intervals gradually rising to an overwhelming climax. |
| 1930 Proc. Musical Assoc. Apr. 92 We are dogged by such words as tonality,..*quartertonality, modality. 1947 Penguin Music Mag. Sept. 11 The romantic composers of the nineteenth century..needed a new instrument—neo-modality, atonality, polytonality, quarter-tonality. |
| 1776 Burney Hist. Mus. (1789) I. ii. 23 A Diesis or *Quarter-tone. 1811 Busby Dict. Mus. s.v., The Quarter-tone is of two kinds, viz. the major-enharmonic..and the enharmonic minor. 1866 Engel Nat. Mus. ii. 45 The seven intervals of the Hindu Scale..are subdivided into twenty-two srooti, corresponding to quarter-tones. 1891 C. R. Day Music & Mus. Instruments S. India & Deccan ii. 20 The quarter-tone system used in Syria. 1934 C. Lambert Music Ho! v. 311 The quarter-tone quartets of Aloys Haba..differ from the quartets of Brahms only through being written in the quarter-tone scale. 1959 Westrup & Harrison Collins Music Encycl. 524/1 Alois Hába has written a number of compositions..for quarter-tone piano, and for quarter-tone harmonium. 1978 P. Griffiths Conc. Hist. Mod. Music v. 53 Ives had explored atonality, free rhythm, quarter-tone harmony. |
| 1888 J. C. Harris Free Joe, etc. 10 There was a *quarter-track,..if he chose..horse-racing. 1962 R. E. B. Hickman Magnetic Recording Handbk. (ed. 3) iii. 29 Present day domestic magnetic tape recorders normally employ dual track (half-track) recording on 1/4 in. tape, although four track (quarter track) recording, with alternate tracks recorded in the same direction, is also common practice. 1962 A. Nisbett Technique Sound Studio iv. 82 Correction can be made by..replaying only part of the full recorded track: e.g. replaying..a half-track recording quarter-track. 1967 P. Spring Tape Recorders iv. 41 A correct head alignment is very much more important than in the case of a quarter-track tape recorder. 1975 G. J. King Audio Handbk. x. 226 (caption) A mono recorder lays one track on each half of the tape, the track then having approximately the width of two quarter tracks. |
| 1810 Sporting Mag. XXXVI. 272 A *quarter turn, which is the kind of rifle the line uses. |
| 1934 D. L. Sayers Nine Tailors ii. i. 73 Rector was saying the other day as she [sc. a bell] did soon ought ter be *quarter-turned. 1954 W. Faulkner Fable 303 It made a rigid quarter-turn. Ibid. 384 Some twenty men with a sergeant, who halted and quarter-turned and stood them at ease. 1964 G. C. Kunzle Parallel Bars ix. 403 Quarter turn into handstand on one bar, squat off with straight legs dismount. |
| 1901 H. E. Bulwer Gloss. Technical Terms Bells 3 *Quarter-turning, re-attaching a bell to its ‘stock’ at right angles (or less) to its former position with reference to the latter, in order that the ‘clapper’ may strike on a fresh segment of the ‘sound-bow’. 1979 Church Times 5 Oct. 5/1 The bells [were] unsafe as they were. The bell⁓founders had recommended quarter-turning. |
| 1661 Morgan Sph. Gentry ii. iii. 29 Or..a Crosse *quarter-voided azure. |
| 1702–11 Milit. & Sea Dict. (ed. 4) 11, *Quarter-Watch is when a Quarter of the Ship's Company watches, which is us'd in Harbour, when there is no Danger. 1769 Falconer Dict. Marine (1789), Faire la petite Bordee, to set the quarter-watch. 1887 G. B. Goode Fisheries U.S. V. ii. 229 On the whaling ground..they stand ‘quarter-watches’. |
| 1882 L. Wright Light xiv. 298 This then is our ‘*quarter-wave’ plate, which should be at once mounted between two glasses in balsam, and its working planes marked on the edges by scratching with a diamond, or quartz crystal. 1937 Jenkins & White Fund. Physical Optics xvi. 357 When a quarter-wave plate is oriented at an angle of 45° with the plane of the incident polarized light the emerging light is circularly polarized. 1943 C. L. Boltz Basic Radio xvii. 265 The ½λ aerial is in two halves... From the centre ends hang two wires 1/4λ long. The feeder is then tapped to the quarter-wave line by moving the contacts up or down until the correct impedance is found. 1970 D. W. Tenquist et al. University Optics II. iii. 109 Quarter-wave plates are usually made of quartz or of mica (sandwiched between glass plates). 1977 S. W. Amos Radio, TV & Audio Techn. Ref. Bk. xxi. 28 It is sometimes necessary to be able to change the input impedance of a λ/2 dipole from its normal value of 73Ω without inserting a separate quarter-wave transformer. |
| 1727–41 Chambers Cycl., *Quarter-wheeling..in the military art, is a motion whereby the front of a body of men is turned round to where the flank was. |
| 1611 in Cheshire Gloss. 275 *Quarter wood att the wiche howses. |
Add:
[V.] [31.] quarter-pounder, something that weighs a quarter of a pound;
spec. a hamburger of this weight.
| 1946 R. A. Knox Retreat for Priests viii. 82 Trying his luck as he crossed the lake, and bringing in his two *quarter-pounders. 1972 N.Y. Times 3 Nov. 42/1 The four-cent rise in the price of McDonald's ‘quarter-pounder’ cheeseburger was not an ‘increase’, but an adjustment. Ibid., McDonald's..said its new ‘quarter-pounder’ burgers were four ounces of meat. 1977 C. McFadden Serial (1978) xxxviii. 82/2 She..ducked into McDonald's for a Quarter Pounder. 1986 Daily Tel. 11 June 15/1 ‘You'll have to wait for the quarter-pounder’, they announce; meanwhile, your fries sit shivering on the tray. |
▪ II. quarter, v. (
ˈkwɔːtə(r))
Also 4–6
quartre.
[f. quarter n. AF. quarteré is found c 1350.] 1. trans. To cut into quarters; to divide into four equal or equivalent parts. Also with
out (
cf. 2 b).
a. things in general.
| c 1430 Two Cookery-bks. 18 Take a Capoun..quarter hym. c 1500 in Prymer (E.E.T.S.) 171 Take a penyworthe of hyt, and quarter hyt in fowre. c 1590 Marlowe Faust. vii, The streets..Quarter the town in four Equivalents. 1646 Sir T. Browne Pseud. Ep. 284 As for the divisions of the yeare, and the quartering out this remarkable standard of time [etc.]. 1735 Pope Donne Sat. iv. 136 He knows..Whose place is quarter'd out, three parts in four. 1796 H. Glasse Cookery xiv. 260 Pare and quarter your apples and take out the cores. 1860 Reade Cloister & H. lvi, So [to] halve their land instead of quartering it. |
b. the body of a person,
esp. of a traitor or criminal. (
Cf. quots. for
hang v. 3,
draw v. 4.)
| 1387 Trevisa Higden (Rolls) VIII. 291 His body was i-quartred and i-sent into dyvers places of Engelonde. 1440 J. Shirley Dethe K. James 23 The said hongman smot of thare hedes, and there quartard hem. 1508 Kennedie Flyting w. Dunbar 416 Hang Dunbar, Quarter and draw. 1601 Shakes. Jul. C. iii. i. 268 Infants quartered with the hands of Warre. 1723 De Foe Col. Jack (1840) 292 Being discovered, betrayed,..hanged, quartered, &c. 1849 Macaulay Hist. Eng. v. I. 614 A few..were set apart for the hideous office of quartering the captives. |
| transf. and fig. 1595 Shakes. John ii. i. 506 Hang'd in the frowning wrinkle of her brow!—And quarter'd in her heart. 1632 Lithgow Trav. i. 2 The very Gospell it selfe,..is quartered, mangled, and reiected. 1824–8 Landor Imag. Conv. Wks. 1846 I. 259 At present the one hangs property, the other quarters it. |
c. Mech. To fix cranks on (a shaft), to make wrist-pin holes in (a driving-wheel), a quarter of a circle apart (Knight
Dict. Mech. 1875).
2. a. To divide into parts fewer or more than four. Also with
out.
| 14.. Sir Beues (M.) 4239 Dede bodyes quarterrid in thre. 1552 Huloet, Quarter or trymme a garden, deformare aream. 1596 Spenser F.Q. vi. ii. 44 Clad all in gilden armes, with azure band Quartred athwart. 1599 T. M[oufet] Silk-wormes 55 Send Witte the knife to quarter out their meate as need requires. 1627 Capt. Smith Seaman's Gram. xiv. 69 Quarter Bullets is..any bullet quartered in foure or eight parts. 1634 Milton Comus 29 This Ile..He quarters to his blu-hair'd deities. a 1800 K. Malcolm & Sir Colvin in Child Ballads II. 62/2 Here is a sword..Will quarter you in three. |
† b. to quarter out: To mark out, outline.
Obs.| 1600 Surflet Countrie Farme iii. xxvii. 484 The iuice [of the fig] doth constraine the skin to fall into wreathes and to quarter out a thousand shapes. 1616 Surfl. & Markh. Country Farme 158 You shall quarter out a bed for Leekes. |
3. Her. a. To place or bear (charges or coats of arms) quarterly upon a shield; to add (another's coat) to one's hereditary arms; to place in alternate quarters
with.
| 14.. Tournam. Tottenham 153 in Hazl. E.P.P. III. 89 The chefe was of a ploo mell,..Quartered with the mone liȝt. 1571 Gascoigne Deuise of Maske Wks. (Roxb.) I. 85 Confessing that he..bare the selfe same armes that I dyd quarter in my Scute. 1605 Camden Rem., Rythmes 25 King Edward the third when he first quartered the Armes of France with England. 1628 Coke On Litt. Pref., This faire descended Family de Littleton,..quartereth many faire Coates. 1762–71 H. Walpole Vertue's Anecd. Paint. (1786) I. 152 [Henry's] sacrificing the gallant earl of Surrey for quartering the arms of England, as he undoubtedly had a right to quarter them. 1854 Hawthorne Eng. Note-bks. (1883) I. 493 The royal banner of England, quartering the lion, the leopard, and the harp. 1880 Dixon Windsor III. ix. 89 Norfolk..had quartered his wife's arms. |
| absol. 1727–41 Chambers Cycl. s.v. Quartering, The King of Great Britain quarters with Great Britain, France, Ireland, Brunswick, &c. 1893 Cussans Heraldry (ed. 4) 171 Neither would their issue—being unable to quarter—be permitted to bear their maternal coat. |
b. To divide (a shield) into quarters, or into any number of divisions formed by vertical and horizontal lines.
| 1590 Spenser F.Q. ii. i. 18 In his silver shield He bore a bloodie Crosse that quartred all the field. 1727–41 Chambers Cycl., Counter-quartered..denotes the escutcheon, after being quartered, to have each quarter divided again into two. 1868 Browning Ring & Bk. vi. 237 Our arms are those of Fiesole itself, The shield quartered with white and red. |
4. a. To put (soldiers or others) into quarters; to station, place or lodge in a particular place. Also
pass. = to have one's abode, lodging, etc.
| 1594 Shakes. Rich. III, v. iii. 34 Where is Lord Stanley quarter'd, do you know? 1665 Manley Grotius' Low C. Warres 221 The Duke of Parma all this Winter, quarter'd his men in the village of Brabant. 1723 De Foe Col. Jack (1840) 233 After this campaign I was quartered at Cremona. 1795 Wellington in Gurw. Desp. (1837) I. 2 The 33rd Regiment was landed and quartered at Poole. 1822 W. Irving Braceb. Hall i. 4, I am again quartered in the panelled chamber. 1882 B. D. W. Ramsay Recoll. Mil. Serv. I. i. 5 He was then quartered in Edinburgh as a lieutenant. |
b. With
on,
upon: To impose (soldiers) upon (a householder, town, etc.), to be lodged and fed.
| 1683 Apol. Prot. France ii. 29 He quartered his Men upon those of the Protestant Religion. 1815 J. W. Croker in C. Papers 14 July (1884), Blucher has quartered a guard of Prussians on him. 1874 Green Short Hist. viii. §3. 485 Soldiers were quartered on recalcitrant boroughs. |
| transf. and fig. 1663 Butler Hud. i. ii. 274 He'd suck his Claws And quarter himself upon his Paws. 1714 Spect. No. 595 ¶6 You have Quartered all the foul Language upon me, that could be raked out of the Air of Billingsgate. 1812 L. Hunt in Examiner 24 Aug. 531/1 Those upon whom the Attorney-General is pleased to quarter his attentions. 1874 Green Short Hist. iii. §5. 139 Italian clergy were quartered on the best livings of the Church. |
5. a. intr. To take up (one's) quarters; to stay, reside, lodge. (Freq. in 17th c.)
| 1581 Savile Tacitus, Hist. ii. lxvi. (1591) 91 That they and the cohorts of Batauians should quarter together. 1624 Capt. Smith Virginia iii. ii. 49 That night they quarterd in the woods. 1670 R. Montagu in Buccleuch MSS. (Hist. MSS. Comm.) I. 482 The whole army..will quarter there for some time. 1723 De Foe Col. Jack (1840) 240 The man in whose house I quartered was exceedingly civil to me. 1781 Hamilton Wks. (1886) VIII. 44, I quarter, at present, by a..warm invitation, with General Lincoln. 1863 Cowden Clarke Shaks. Char. x. 262 An atmosphere of manner belonging to those who have quartered in various countries. |
| transf. 1668 Culpepper & Cole Barthol. Anat. Manual i. v. 312 A remarkable Vein about the Heart..quartering on the one side, without another on the other side. |
b. With
on or
upon. (
Cf. 4 b.) ?
Obs.| 1650 Fuller Pisgah ii. v. 122 The Canaanites quartered..hard on the men of Asher. 1681 Lond. Gaz. No. 1583/4 A body of men should be sent to quarter upon the Country. |
6. To give quarters to; to furnish with quarters or lodgings. ?
Obs.| 1681 W. Robertson Phraseol. Gen. (1693) 1040 To quarter, hospitio accipere. 1682 Bunyan Holy War (Cassell) 177 They had called his soldiers into the town [and] coveted who should quarter the most of them. |
| absol. 1667 Ormonde MSS. in 10th Rep. Hist. MSS. Comm. App. v. 56 [Certain] inhabitants of the said towne, refuse to quarter or pay the allowances for quartering. |
7. Naut. To assign (men) to a particular quarter on board ship; to place or station for action.
| 1695 T. Smith Voy. Constantinople in Misc. Cur. (1708) III. 6 The Captain quartered his Men, and the Decks were cleared. 1748 Anson's Voy. iii. viii. 378 He had not hands enough remaining to quarter a sufficient number to each great gun. 1769 Falconer Dict. Marine (1780) G g ij, The marines are generally quartered on the poop and forecastle. 1809 J. Dale in Naval Chron. XXIV. 78 The Europeans..had been quartered to the upper deck guns. |
8. Naut. a. intr. To sail with the wind on the quarter,
i.e. between beam and stern.
| 1627 Capt. Smith Seaman's Gram. vii. 31 When you goe before the wind, or quartering. 1628 Digby Voy. Medit. (1868) 83 Quartering with one tacke abord till you gett your chace vpon your beame. 1725 De Saumarez in Phil. Trans. XXXIII. 424 Sometimes sailing right before the Wind, then quartering. |
b. intr. Of wind: To blow on a ship's quarter.
| 1720 De Foe Capt. Singleton xi. (1840) 192 She came down upon us with the wind quartering. |
c. Of a sea: To strike (a ship) on the quarter.
| 1890 Clark Russell Ocean Trag. I. v. 94 The sea had quartered her and swept..along her lustrous bends. |
9. Build. To construct (a wall or partition) with quarters of wood.
| 1703 T. N. City & C. Purchaser 278 The Walls being quarter'd and Lathed between the Timber. 1848 Jrnl. R. Agric. Soc. IX. ii. 570 The former [circle] above the brickwork being quartered and plastered. |
10. a. To range or traverse (ground, etc.) in every direction. Said
esp. of dogs in search of game and of birds of prey flying over their hunting grounds.
| 1700 J. Collier 2nd Def. Short View 118 He has rang'd over a great deal of Ground, and Quarter'd the Fields of Greece and Italy. 1760–72 H. Brooke Fool of Qual. (1809) IV. 139 They crossed and quartered the country at pleasure. 1766 Pennant Brit. Zool. (1768) II. 235 Who pass over the fields and quarter the ground as a setting dog. 1788 Wolcott (P. Pindar) Sir J. Banks & Emp. of Morocco Wks. 1812 II. 94 Just like a Pointer quartering well his ground. 1873 Tristram Moab viii. 143 To traverse and quarter these ruins is a good day's work. 1888 Antipod. Notes 6 Two boats are..quartering the sea, as a..pointer quarters a turnip-field. 1919 T. A. Coward Birds Brit. Isles I. 309 Sharing with other Harriers the habit of closely and diligently quartering the ground with buoyant easy flight, the Hen-Harrier more frequently interrupts its progress by hovering. 1946 D. C. Peattie Road of Naturalist iii. 39 The hawks and the falcons quartered the dazzling playa. 1976 L. Brown Brit. Birds of Prey x. 121 When returning to the roost in the evening they [sc. Montagu's harriers] often travel straight and quarter the ground much less than they would when hunting. |
b. intr. To range to and fro; to shift from point to point.
| 1857 Hughes Tom Brown ii. v, They quarter over the ground again and again, Tom always on the defensive. 1873 G. C. Davies Mount. & Mere x. 76 The hounds quartered to and fro. |
c. intr. To drive from side to side of the road.
In
quot. 1834
app. a misinterpretation of sense 11.
| 1834 De Quincey Autob. Sk. Wks. 1862 XIV. 296 The postillion..was employed..eternally, in quartering, i.e., in crossing from side to side, according to the casualties of the ground. 1886 Elworthy W. Somerset Word-bk., Quarter to drive uphill in such a way that the horse crosses the road backwards and forwards so as to diminish the gradient. |
d. intr. To move in a slanting direction.
| 1883 ‘Mark Twain’ Life on Mississippi iii. 51, I see a black something floating on the water away off to stabboard [sic] and quartering behind us. 1894 Outing (U.S.) XXIV. 387/1 The bird quartered past the Judge who had only cut a bunch of feathers from it. 1895 Ibid. XXVI. 401/1 We..changed our direction so as to ‘quarter’ by them. 1938 M. K. Rawlings Yearling xx. 260 His bear was quartering from him, but he was able to draw a bead on the left cheek from the rear. |
11. a. intr. To drive a cart or carriage so that the right and left wheels are on (two of) the quarters of a road, with a rut between. Also, of a horse: To walk with the feet thus placed; hence, to walk in front of the wheel. Also
fig. This is also the sense of F.
cartayer, Walloon
quateler (Littré), which are etymologically related to the
Engl. word.
| 1800 Tuke Agric. 300 Two-horse carts should be drawn by the horses abreast..by which means they would be enabled to quarter or stride the ruts. 1806–7 J. Beresford Miseries Hum. Life (1826) ii. xxvii, A rugged narrow lane in which the ruts refuse to fit your wheels and yet there is no room to quarter. 1824 C. A. Bowles Let. 24 Jan. in E. Dowden Corr. Southey (1881) 48, I keep quartering, or trying to quarter, for a yard or so, and then down goes the wheel into the old groove. I cannot keep out of blank verse. 1847 Jrnl. R. Agric. Soc. VIII. ii. 277 The carting off the cabbages..is done with a quarter-cart, as it is termed in Suffolk, having the shafts so placed that the horse walks before the right hand wheel; in other words, it ‘quarters’. 1859 Mrs. Gaskell Round the Sofa 20 We had to quarter, as Randal called it, nearly all the way along the deep-rutted miry lanes. 1879– In dialect glossaries (Shropsh., Chesh., etc.). |
b. intr. To drive to the side in order to allow another vehicle to
pass. (
Cf. quart v.
2)
| 1849 De Quincey Eng. Mail Coach Wks. 1862 IV. 334 Every creature that met us would rely upon us for quartering. 1866 Geo. Eliot F. Holt 1 Elderly gentlemen in pony-chaises, quartering nervously to make way [etc.]. |
c. To set (the shafts of a cart) so that the horse walks in front of one of the wheels.
| 1847 Jrnl. R. Agric. Soc. VIII. ii. 268 The shafts are quartered, so that the horses (usually two) walk in the furrow followed by one wheel. |
12. intr. Of the moon: To begin a fresh quarter. Also with
in.
| 1789 G. Keate Pelew Isl. 227 They would have bad weather until the moon quartered. 1833 Marryat P. Simple (1863) 157 The new moon's quartered in with foul weather. |