free-ˈquarter Hist.
The obligation or impost of having to provide free board and lodging for troops; also, of the troops, the right to be billeted in free quarters, or else the necessity of having to find them for themselves. to live at free-quarter: to be maintained without expense to the government.
| 1648 Petit. Eastern Ass. 17 Have not inforced Assessements, and free-quarter grated them as small? 1648 Cromwell Lett. 15 Nov. in Carlyle, The Country is..not able to bear free-quarter; nor well able to furnish provisions if we had moneys. 1655 ― Sp. 22 Jan. ibid., These took advantage from..the stopping of the pay of the army, to run us into Free-quarter. a 1680 Butler Rem. (1759) I. 63 Make Law and Equity as dear, As Plunder and Free-quarter were. 1818 Cobbett in Pol. Reg. XXXIII. 524 An army must be sent into Yorkshire; but, they must live at free-quarter then. |
Hence † free-ˈquarter v., to live at free-quarter; † free-ˈquarterer, one billeted in free quarters.
| 1648 Prynne Plea for Lords C ij, As our free-quarterers doe now. 1654 Whitlock Zootomia 16 As for evil Things, look on them but as Lodgers, (though as unwelcome as Free-quarterers). 1659 To free-quarter [see freebooter v.]. |