quarter
A period of 15 minutes
I’ll meet you at a quarter to ten.
Theme, CEFR level & Tags
Oxford Essential Dictionary
quarter
noun
1 one of four equal parts of something; ¼:
a mile and a quarter
The film starts in three quarters of an hour.
2 three months:
You get a telephone bill every quarter.
3 a part of a town:
the Chinese quarter
(a) quarter past (British) 15 minutes after the hour:
It's quarter past two.
I'll meet you at a quarter past.
In American English you say a quarter after:
It's a quarter after seven.
(a) quarter to (British) 15 minutes before the hour:
It's quarter to nine.
In American English you say a quarter of:
It's a quarter of four now.
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
quarter
I. quar‧ter1 S1 W2 /ˈkwɔːtə $ ˈkwɔːrtər/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[Word Family: noun: ↑quarter, quarters, ↑quarterly; verb: ↑quarter; adverb: ↑quarterly; adjective: ↑quarterly]
[Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: quartier, from Latin quartarius, from quartus 'fourth']
1. AMOUNT one of four equal parts into which something can be divided ⇨ half, third
a/one quarter (of something)
a quarter of a mile
roughly one quarter of the city’s population
It’s about a page and a quarter.
three quarters (of something) (=75%)
three quarters of a million pounds
the first/second etc quarter
in the last quarter of the 19th century
Cut the cake into quarters.
► Say a quarter of something, not ‘quarter of’ something.
2. PART OF AN HOUR a period of 15 minutes:
I’ll meet you in a quarter of an hour.
She arrived three quarters of an hour (=45 minutes) late.
(a) quarter to (something) (also (a) quarter of (something) )American English (=15 minutes before the hour)
It’s a quarter of two.
(a) quarter past (something) British English also (a) quarter after (something) )American English (=15 minutes after the hour)
I’ll meet you at a quarter past ten.
3. MONEY a coin used in the US and Canada worth 25 cents
4. THREE MONTHS a period of three months, used especially when discussing business and financial matters
the first/second/third/fourth quarter
The company’s profits rose by 11% in the first quarter of the year.
Our database is updated every quarter. ⇨ ↑quarterly(1)
5. SPORT one of the four equal periods of time into which games of some sports are divided
the first/second/third/fourth quarter
The home side took the lead in the second quarter.
6. PART OF A CITY [usually singular] an area of a town:
I found a small flat in the student quarter.
Granada’s ancient Arab quarter
a historic quarter of the city
7. HOME quarters [plural] the rooms that are given to someone to live in as part of their job, especially servants or soldiers:
The top floor provided living quarters for the kitchen staff.
Most of the officers live in married quarters (=houses where soldiers live with their wives).
8. COLLEGE American English one of the four periods into which a year at school or college is divided, continuing for 10 to 12 weeks ⇨ semester:
What classes are you taking this quarter?
9. MOON the period of time twice a month when you can see a quarter of the moon’s surface
10. in/from ... quarters among or from different groups of people:
Offers of financial help came from several quarters.
Doubts were expressed in many quarters.
11. all quarters of the Earth/globe literary everywhere in the world
12. give/receive no quarter literary if someone gives no quarter, they do not show any pity or gentleness when dealing with someone, especially an enemy:
It was a fight to the death, with no quarter given.
⇨ at close quarters at ↑close2(20)
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ area a part of a town or country, or of the world: They live in a very wealthy area. | coastal areas
▪ region a large area of a country or the world: the northwest region of Russia | desert regions
▪ zone an area that is different from other areas around it in some way: a war zone | a no-parking zone | We crossed two different time zonesareas where there is a particular time compared to the rest of the world.
▪ district one of the areas a city or town is officially divided into, or an area of a city where a particular group live or an activity happens: the Chelsea district of Manhattan | the business/financial/theatre etc district: the financial district of London
▪ neighbourhood British English, neighborhood American English /ˈneɪbəhʊd $ -ər-/ an area of a town where people live: a friendly neighbourhood | There are lots of trees in our neighborhood.
▪ suburb an area outside the centre of a city, where people live: a suburb of Boston
▪ quarter an area of a town or city where people of a particular nationality live: the French quarter of New Orleans
▪ slum an area of a city that is in very bad condition, where many poor people live: He grew up in the slums of East London.
▪ ghetto an area of a city where poor people of a particular race or class live: a black baby born in the ghetto
II. quarter2 BrE AmE verb [transitive]
[Word Family: noun: ↑quarter, quarters, ↑quarterly; verb: ↑quarter; adverb: ↑quarterly; adjective: ↑quarterly]
1. to cut or divide something into four parts ⇨ halve:
Quarter the tomatoes and place them round the dish.
2. [usually passive] formal to provide someone with a place to sleep and eat, especially soldiers:
Our troops were quartered in Boston until June.
Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary
quarter
quar·ter [quarter quarters quartered quartering] noun, verb [ˈkwɔːtə(r)] [ˈkwɔːrtər]
noun
1 OF 4 PARTS
1. (also fourth especially in NAmE) countable one of four equal parts of sth
• a quarter of a mile
• The programme lasted an hour and a quarter.
• Cut the apple into quarters.
• The theatre was about three quarters full.
15 MINUTES
2. countable a period of 15 minutes either before or after every hour
• It's (a) quarter to four now— I'll meet you at (a) quarter past.
• (NAmE also) It's quarter of four now— I'll meet you at quarter after.
3 MONTHS
3. countable a period of three months, used especially as a period for which bills are paid or a company's income is calculated
• The rent is due at the end of each quarter.
• Our gas bill for the last quarter was much higher than usual.
• Sales were down 10% in the first quarter of 2009.
PART OF TOWN
4. countable, usually singular a district or part of a town
• the Latin quarter
• the historic quarter of the city
PERSON/GROUP
5. countable a person or group of people, especially as a source of help, information or a reaction
• Support for the plan came from an unexpected quarter.
• The news was greeted with dismay in some quarters.
25 CENTS
6. countable a coin of the US and Canada worth 25 cents
ROOMS TO LIVE IN
7. quarters plural rooms that are provided for soldiers, servants, etc. to live in
• We were moved to more comfortable living quarters.
• married quarters
OF MOON
8. countable the period of time twice a month when we can see a quarter of the moon
• The moon is in its first quarter.
IN SPORT
9. countable one of the four periods of time into which a game of American football is divided
WEIGHT
10. countable (BrE) a unit for measuring weight, a quarter of a pound; 4 ounces
11. countable a unit for measuring weight, 28 pounds in the UK or 25 pounds in the US; a quarter of a hundredweight
PITY
12. uncountable (old-fashioned or literary) pity that sb shows towards an enemy or opponent who is in their power
Syn: mercy
• His rivals knew that they could expect no quarter from such a ruthless adversary.
see at/from close quarters at close2 adj.
Word Origin:
Middle English: from Old French quartier, from Latin quartarius ‘fourth part of a measure’, from quartus ‘fourth’, from quattuor ‘four’.
Grammar Point:
half / whole / quarter
Quarter, half and whole can all be nouns: ▪ Cut the apple into quarters. ◊ ▪ Two halves make a whole.
Whole is also an adjective: ▪ I’ve been waiting here for a whole hour.
Half is also a determiner: ▪ Half (of) the work is already finished. ◊ ▪ They spent half the time looking for a parking space. ◊ ▪ Her house is half a mile down the road. Note that you do not put a or the in front of half when it is used in this way: ▪ I waited for half an hour ◊ I waited for a half an hour.
Half can also be used as an adverb: ▪ This meal is only half cooked.
Example Bank:
• He was confined to quarters as a punishment.
• Profits fell during the third quarter.
• The corporal and his family lived in married quarters.
• The problem was being discussed in all quarters.
• There was no comment from official quarters on the allegations.
• a quarter of a century/mile/million
• a quarter of all potential customers
• a quarter of an hour
• six consecutive quarters of improved earnings
• the current fiscal quarter
• the president's private quarters
• Ford scored the winning touchdown early in the fourth quarter.
• She lives in the Latin quarter of Paris.
• The historic quarter of the city is full of grand buildings.
• The robbery took place in a normally quiet quarter of the town.
verb
DIVIDE INTO 4
1. ~ sth to cut or divide sth into four parts
• She peeled and quartered an apple.
PROVIDE ROOMS
2. ~ sb (+ adv./prep.) (formal) to provide sb with a place to eat and sleep
• The soldiers were quartered in the town.
Word Origin:
Middle English: from Old French quartier, from Latin quartarius ‘fourth part of a measure’, from quartus ‘fourth’, from quattuor ‘four’.
Example Bank:
• Three hundred soldiers were quartered in the town.
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary
quarter
quarter (FORGIVENESS) /ˈkwɔː.təʳ/ US /ˈkwɑː.ţɚ/
noun [U] LITERARY
a show of kindness and forgiveness towards a person that you have defeated, especially in allowing them to live:
We can expect no quarter from our enemies.
quarter (PERSON) /ˈkwɔː.təʳ/ US /ˈkwɑː.ţɚ/
noun [C]
one or more people who provide help, information or a particular reaction to something but who are not usually named:
Help came from an unexpected quarter.
There is a feeling in certain/some quarters (= Some people consider) that a change is needed.
quarter (AREA) /ˈkwɔː.təʳ/ US /ˈkwɑː.ţɚ/
noun [C]
an area of a town where a particular group of people live or work or where a particular activity happens:
This is the bustling commercial quarter of the city.
quarter (MONEY) /ˈkwɔː.təʳ/ US /ˈkwɑː.ţɚ/
noun [C]
in the US and Canada, a coin worth 25 cents
quarter (FOURTH PART) /ˈkwɔː.təʳ/ US /ˈkwɑː.ţɚ/
noun [C]
1 one of four equal or almost equal parts of something; ¼:
He cut the orange into quarters.
Under a quarter of people questioned said that they were happily married.
My house is situated a mile and three-quarters from here.
2 a quarter of an hour 15 minutes:
I waited a quarter of an hour and then went home.
I was there three-quarters of an hour.
an hour and three-quarters
3 a quarter to/US ALSO of two/three/four, etc. 15 minutes before two/three/four, etc:
It was a quarter to six when I left.
4 a quarter past/US ALSO after two/three/four, etc. 15 minutes after two/three/four, etc:
I'll meet you at a quarter past five.
5 one of four periods of time into which a year is divided for financial calculations, such as for profits or taxes:
There was a fall in unemployment in the second quarter of the year.
I get an electricity bill every quarter.
6 one of four periods in a game of American football and other ball sports
quarter /ˈkwɔː.təʳ/ US /ˈkwɑː.ţɚ/
verb [T often passive]
to cut something into four parts
quarterly /ˈkwɔː.təl.i/ US /ˈkwɑː.ţɚ.li/
adjective, adverb
a quarterly magazine
The magazine will be published quarterly (= four times a year).
quarters
quarters /ˈkwɔː.təz/ US /ˈkwɑː.ţɚz/
plural noun
a room or house that has been provided, especially for servants or soldiers and their families, to live in:
The army's married quarters are just outside the town.
quarter /ˈkwɔː.təʳ/ US /ˈkwɑː.ţɚ/
verb [T usually passive + adverb or preposition]
to send especially soldiers to live in a place:
The soldiers were quartered with (= they lived with) local villagers during the war.
term
term (TIME) /tɜːm/ US /tɝːm/
noun
1 [C] the fixed period of time which something lasts for:
He received a prison term for drunk driving.
The Government's term of office (= The period in which they have power) expires at the end of the year.
See also terms.
2 [C] MAINLY UK (US USUALLY semester or quarter) one of the periods into which a year is divided at school, college or university:
In Britain, the spring term starts in January and ends just before Easter.
We're very busy in term-time (= during the term).
3 [C] FORMAL the period of time which a legal agreement lasts for:
The lease on our house is near the end of its term.
4 [U] SPECIALIZED the end of a pregnancy when a baby is expected to be born:
Her last pregnancy went to term (= The baby was born after the expected number of weeks).
a full-term pregnancy
-term/-tɜːm/ US /-tɝːm/
suffix
long/medium/short-term lasting a long/medium/short time:
The project will have long-term benefits.
Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary
quarter
/kwɔ:(r)tə(r)/
(quarters, quartering, quartered)
Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English.
1.
A quarter is one of four equal parts of something.
A quarter of the residents are over 55 years old...
I’ve got to go in a quarter of an hour...
Prices have fallen by a quarter since January...
Cut the peppers into quarters.
FRACTION
•
Quarter is also a predeterminer.
The largest asteroid is Ceres, which is about a quarter the size of the moon.
PREDET
•
Quarter is also an adjective.
...the past quarter century...
ADJ: ADJ n
2.
A quarter is a fixed period of three months. Companies often divide their financial year into four quarters.
The group said results for the third quarter are due on October 29.
N-COUNT: usu sing
3.
When you are telling the time, you use quarter to talk about the fifteen minutes before or after an hour. For example, 8.15 is quarter past eight, and 8.45 is quarter to nine. In American English, you can also say that 8.15 is a quarter after eight and 8.45 is a quarter of nine.
It was a quarter to six...
I got a call at quarter of seven one night...
N-UNCOUNT: also a N
4.
If you quarter something such as a fruit or a vegetable, you cut it into four roughly equal parts.
Chop the mushrooms and quarter the tomatoes.
VERB: V n
5.
If the number or size of something is quartered, it is reduced to about a quarter of its previous number or size.
The doses I suggested for adults could be halved or quartered.
VERB: usu passive, be V-ed
6.
A quarter is an American or Canadian coin that is worth 25 cents.
I dropped a quarter into the slot of the pay phone.
N-COUNT
7.
A particular quarter of a town is a part of the town where a particular group of people traditionally live or work.
Look for hotels in the French Quarter.
N-COUNT: supp N
8.
To refer to a person or group you may not want to name, you can talk about the reactions or actions from a particular quarter.
Help came from an unexpected quarter...
N-COUNT: usu supp N
9.
The rooms provided for soldiers, sailors, or servants to live in are called their quarters.
Mckinnon went down from deck to the officers’ quarters.
N-PLURAL: poss N
10.
If you do something at close quarters, you do it very near to a particular person or thing.
You can watch aircraft take off or land at close quarters...
