Definition

1. Noun:

   • One of four equal parts: A quarter is one of four equal parts into which something can be divided.
   • A period of 15 minutes: A quarter is a unit of time equal to 15 minutes or one-fourth of an hour.
   • A period of three months: A quarter is one of four three-month periods in a year, often used in business and finance.
   • A coin worth 25 cents: In the United States and Canada, a quarter is a coin worth one-fourth of a dollar.
   • A district or section of a city: A quarter is a specific area or neighborhood within a town or city.
   • A particular source or direction: A quarter can refer to a source of information or a point of the compass.
   • Mercy shown to a defeated opponent: In historical or military contexts, quarter refers to clemency or sparing the life of a captured enemy.

2. Verb:

   • To divide into four equal parts: To quarter something is to cut or divide it into four roughly equal pieces.
   • To provide lodging or housing: To quarter someone, especially military personnel, is to provide them with accommodations or a place to stay.

Usage Examples

• Noun:

  • Cut the apple into quarters. (Divide the apple into four equal pieces.)
  • The meeting starts at a quarter past three. (The meeting starts at 3:15.)
  • The company's profits increased in the last quarter. (Profits rose in the final three-month period of the year.)
  • I need a quarter for the parking meter. (I need a 25-cent coin.)
  • We visited the historic quarter of the city. (We toured the old district.)
  • The attack came from an unexpected quarter. (The attack originated from a surprising direction.)
  • The soldiers gave no quarter to the enemy. (The soldiers showed no mercy.)

• Verb:

  • Quarter the onion before slicing it thinly. (Cut the onion into four parts first.)
  • The army was quartered in the town's empty buildings. (The soldiers were housed in the vacant structures.)

Advanced Usage

• "at close quarters": Very near to someone or something; in close proximity.

  • The two armies fought at close quarters. (They fought in very close combat.)

• "to ask for quarter": To plead for mercy, especially from a victor in a conflict.

  • The defeated general asked for quarter for his men. (He requested that his soldiers' lives be spared.)

• "to take up one's quarters": To settle into a place of residence or lodging.

  • The ambassador took up his quarters in the embassy. (He moved into his residence at the embassy.)

Variants and Related Words

• Quarterly (adj/adv): Occurring or produced every three months.

  • The journal is published quarterly. (It is issued four times a year.)

• Headquarters (n): The main offices or center of operations for an organization.

  • The company's headquarters are in London. (The main office is located there.)

• Quarterfinal (n): A match or round in a tournament preceding the semifinal, involving eight competitors or teams.

  • Our team has reached the quarterfinals. (We are in the last eight of the competition.)

Synonyms

• Fourth: One of four equal parts.
• District: A defined area within a city.
• Section: A distinct part or subdivision.
• Lodging: A place to live temporarily.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Quarter with: (Archaic) To provide someone with accommodations.
  • The villagers were forced to quarter the king's soldiers with them. (They had to house the soldiers in their homes.)

Related Idioms

• A bad quarter of an hour: A short but unpleasant or difficult period of time.

  • Waiting for the test results was a bad quarter of an hour. (It was a brief but stressful wait.)

• Not a quarter as good: Not nearly as good; much worse.

  • This copy is not a quarter as good as the original. (It is far inferior to the original.)

Noun

1. clemency or mercy shown to a defeated opponent
   • he surrendered but asked for quarter
2. piece of leather that comprises the part of a shoe or boot covering the heel and joining the vamp
3. the rear part of a ship
4. an unspecified person
   • he dropped a word in the right quarter
5. a United States or Canadian coin worth one fourth of a dollar
   • he fed four quarters into the slot machine
6. a quarter of a hundredweight (28 pounds)
7. a quarter of a hundredweight (25 pounds)
8. one of the four major division of the compass
   • the wind is coming from that quarter
9. a fourth part of a year; three months
   • unemployment fell during the last quarter
10. one of four periods into which the school year is divided
    • the fall quarter ends at Christmas
11. a unit of time equal to 15 minutes or a quarter of an hour
    • it's a quarter til 4
    • a quarter after 4 o'clock
12. (football, professional basketball) one of four divisions into which some games are divided
    • both teams scored in the first quarter
13. a district of a city having some distinguishing character
    • the Latin Quarter
14. one of four equal parts
    • a quarter of a pound

Verb

1. divide by four; divide into quarters
2. divide into quarters
   • quarter an apple
3. pull (a person) apart with four horses tied to his extremities, so as to execute him
   • in the old days, people were drawn and quartered for certain crimes
4. provide housing for (military personnel)