quarter section
Definition
Noun: A unit of land area in the United States Public Land Survey System, equal to one quarter of a full section. It contains 160 acres and is typically a square tract measuring half a mile (2,640 feet or approximately 0.8 kilometers) on each side.
Usage
The term is used specifically in the context of land surveying, real estate, agriculture, and historical land grants in the United States and Canada. It describes a standardized parcel size. - The family farm was originally a single quarter section. - The property for sale consists of two adjacent quarter sections.
Advanced Usage
- Legal Descriptions: In formal deeds and land titles, a quarter section is precisely described by its location within a township, range, and section (e.g., "the Northwest Quarter of Section 15").
- Historical Context: The quarter section (160 acres) was the standard parcel granted to homesteaders under the Homestead Act of 1862, symbolizing the opportunity for land ownership.
Variants and Related Words
- Section (n): The primary unit, one mile square, containing 640 acres. A quarter section is one-fourth of this.
- Quarter-Quarter Section (n): A further subdivision, equal to 40 acres (one-sixteenth of a section).
- Acre (n): A unit of area; a quarter section contains 160 acres.
Synonyms
- 160-acre tract: A descriptive synonym emphasizing the area.
- Half-mile square: A descriptive synonym emphasizing the dimensions.
Notes
- This is a technical term from a specific surveying system. In general contexts, one would simply refer to a "160-acre plot" or "parcel of land."
- Due to survey adjustments, physical features, or earlier claims, some quarter sections may not form perfect squares or contain exactly 160 acres.
Noun
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a land unit equal to a quarter of a section (160 acres) and measuring 1/2 mile on a side
