quarter
quarter
Pronunciation
American English: /ˈkwɔr.tər/ or /ˈkwɔr.ɾɚ/
British English: /ˈkwɔːtə/
Here's a breakdown of the sounds for each syllable (using the General American pronunciation as an example):
First Syllable: /ˈkwɔr-/
/k/: A voiceless velar stop, like the "k" in "cat."
/w/: A voiced labial-velar approximant, like the "w" in "we."
/ɔr/ (or /ɔːr/): This is a vowel sound that blends the "aw" sound (like in "raw") with an "r" sound. The tongue retracts and bunches for the "r" quality.
**Second Syllable: /**tər/ or /**ɾɚ/
/t/ (or /ɾ/):
In General American, the "t" often becomes a voiced alveolar tap (/ɾ/) when it's between a stressed vowel and an unstressed vowel (like the "tt" in "butter"). This is a quick tap of the tongue against the alveolar ridge.
In other contexts or accents, it might be a voiceless alveolar stop (/t/).
/ər/: This is a syllabic "r" sound, also known as a vocalic "r" or r-colored schwa. It's an unstressed vowel sound that takes on the "r" quality without a distinct vowel preceding it.
Word Form Variations
1. Noun Forms:
Singular: quarter
Examples: "I need a quarter for the vending machine." "We're in the final quarter of the year." "He lives in the French quarter of the city."
Plural: quarters
Examples: "The pie was cut into four quarters." "The soldiers returned to their quarters." "Sales were up in all quarters."
Note: "Quarters" (plural) can also refer to living accommodations (e.g., "living quarters," "officers' quarters").
2. Verb Forms:
Base form/Infinitive: quarter
Example: "Please quarter the apple before serving."
Third-person singular present: quarters
Example: "She quarters the vegetables for the stew."
Past tense: quartered
Example: "He quartered the deer after the hunt." "The troops were quartered in the old barracks."
Past participle: quartered
Example: "The pizza has been quartered." "They have been quartered here for months."
Present participle/Gerund: quartering
Example: "She is quartering the oranges." "The act of quartering the meat."
3. Adjective Forms (often used in compound words or specific phrases):
While "quarter" isn't a standalone adjective in the same way "big" or "red" is, it functions adjectivally in many contexts:
quarter- (as a prefix in compound adjectives):
quarter-final: "The team played in the quarter-final match."
quarter-hour: "I'll be there in a quarter-hour."
quarter-mile: "He ran the quarter-mile race."
three-quarter: "A three-quarter length coat."
quarterly (adjective and adverb derived from "quarter"):
Adjective: "We receive a quarterly report."
Adverb: "The magazine is published quarterly."
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Noun
Definition: One of four equal parts into which something is divided; specifically, a unit representing 25% of a whole.
Synonyms: fourth, segment, portion, division, fraction
Antonyms: whole, entirety, total
Definition: A specific period of three months, especially used in financial or academic contexts to denote a fiscal period or a term of study.
Synonyms: trimester, period, term, phase
Antonyms: year, annual (as a concept)
Definition: A common coin valued at 25 cents, particularly in the United States and Canada.
Synonyms: twenty-five cents, coin (specific to value)
Antonyms: (No direct antonyms for a specific coin's value)
Definition: A particular district or section of a city, town, or area, often distinguished by its predominant inhabitants, purpose, or history.
Synonyms: district, neighborhood, borough, sector, zone, precinct, area
Antonyms: (No direct antonyms for a specific area)
Definition (plural: "quarters"): Living accommodations or lodgings, especially for military personnel, students, or staff.
Synonyms: lodgings, barracks, accommodation, dwelling, residence, living space
Antonyms: (No direct antonyms for this usage)
Definition: A specific point of the compass, or a particular direction relative to another point.
Synonyms: direction, bearing, compass point, side
Antonyms: (No direct antonyms, as it describes a relative position)
Definition (sports): A division of a game or match, typically one of four, used to structure playing time (e.g., in basketball or American football).
Synonyms: period, inning, segment, division
Antonyms: half (if a game is divided into two), game (as a whole)
Verb
Definition: To divide something into four equal or roughly equal parts.
Synonyms: halve (and then halve again), section, divide, segment, cut up
Antonyms: combine, unify, join, assemble, whole (as a verb)
Definition: To provide lodging or accommodation for someone, especially troops or a large group, often in temporary or shared living spaces.
Synonyms: lodge, house, billet, accommodate, shelter, station
Antonyms: evict, displace, remove, oust
Definition (historical/archaic): To dismember a body into four parts, especially as a form of execution (often "draw and quarter").
Synonyms: dismember, vivisect, mutilate (in this specific context)
Antonyms: preserve, keep whole (in this specific context)
Adjective
Definition: Constituting one-fourth of a whole; representing 25% of a larger quantity or measure (often used attributively, before a noun, or in compound forms).
Synonyms: fourth, twenty-five percent, one-fourth
Antonyms: full, whole, complete, entire
Examples of Adjective Usage:
Quarter-final: The match before the semi-final.
Quarter-hour: A period of fifteen minutes.
Quarter-pound: Weighing four ounces.
Adverb
Definition: (Less common as a standalone adverb, but implied in phrases like "a quarter past") Indicating a division of time, specifically fifteen minutes past the hour.
Synonyms: fifteen minutes past, (a) fourth of an hour
Antonyms: (No direct antonyms, as it's a specific time marker)
Examples of Use
Books:
"All in due time, when our Lord will have us to come from one quarter to another, till at last we come to dwell with Him in glory." (John Bunyan, The Pilgrim's Progress, 1678)
"Every part of the building was stained with smoke; every part of the furniture was blackened with smoke; and, but for the panic in the room, it would have been a matter of wonder how the smoke could have got into the casements, or how it had come to pass that it had not found its way out of the windows and doors in the ordinary quarter." (Charles Dickens, Great Expectations, 1861)
Newspapers:
"Tesla Inc. delivered 466,140 vehicles globally in the second quarter, up from 422,875 in the first quarter." (Reuters, "Tesla's Q2 deliveries rise as price cuts spur demand,")
"The city council met last night to discuss plans for revitalizing the historic Old Town quarter." (Local newspaper, The Daily Herald)
Online Publications:
"The average price of a home in the UK increased by 1.7% in the first quarter of 2024, according to new data." (BBC News Online, "UK house prices edge up in first quarter,")
"A small change in your morning routine can add an extra quarter of an hour to your day, boosting productivity." (Forbes.com, "The Power of an Extra 15 Minutes,")
Various Entertainment Mediums and Platforms:
Film: In the movie Pulp Fiction, there's the famous line, "Do you know what the most amazing thing about a Big Mac is? It's the fact that a quarter pounder with cheese is called a 'Royale with Cheese' in Paris." (Miramax Films, Pulp Fiction, 1994)
Television (Sports): "And that brings us to the end of the third quarter, with the Lakers leading the Warriors 85 to 78." (ESPN broadcast of an NBA game)
Video Games: Many real-time strategy games or city-building games feature concepts of "military quarters" or "residential quarters" for housing units. For example, in Age of Empires IV, players build different "quarters" for their civilizations. (Relic Entertainment & World's Edge, Age of Empires IV)
Music: The song "Take Five" by The Dave Brubeck Quartet is famous for its 5/4 time signature, often referred to as "five quarter time." (The Dave Brubeck Quartet, Time Out, 1959)
General Public Discourse:
"Can I borrow a quarter for the parking meter?" (Common street interaction)
"They've been quartered in the old barracks for the past month while the new dorms are being built." (Discussion among colleagues about temporary housing)
"We're going to quarter the watermelon so everyone can have a big slice." (Family discussion before a picnic)
"The report is due at the end of the next quarter, so we need to accelerate our efforts." (Conversation in a business meeting)
10 Quotes Using Quarter
"And in every quarter of the globe where a man has a grievance against the existing order, he will see in you the champion of social justice." (David Lloyd George, speaking about Woodrow Wilson, War Memoirs of David Lloyd George, 1938)
"I knew I had to make my move in the final quarter." (Often attributed to basketball players like Michael Jordan, representing a common sports idiom rather than a single definitive quote.)
"There is no quarter given to the unfortunate." (Fyodor Dostoevsky, The Idiot, 1869)
"Every quarter of the hour, a car drove by carrying the dead." (Elie Wiesel, Night, 1960)
"The first quarter of the century was marked by incredible technological advancement." (A common phrase in historical analysis, not attributable to one person.)
"I'm not asking for a favor, just a fair quarter." (A common idiom in historical fiction and drama, meaning a fair chance or treatment, not attributable to a single famous speaker.)
"No, I cannot give you a quarter." (A ubiquitous phrase in public discourse, without a specific famous origin.)
"He gave no quarter in the debate." (A common idiom, meaning he was relentless or showed no mercy.)
"We are in the last quarter of the game, and we need to push harder." (A common sports commentary phrase.)
"The economic outlook for the next quarter remains uncertain." (A standard phrase in financial news and reports.)
Etymology
The word "quarter" has a rich history, and its meaning has evolved quite a bit over time, though it always circles back to the idea of "four."
Its journey starts with the Latin word "quartus," which simply means "the fourth." From there, it moved into Old French as "quartier" or "quarter." English then borrowed this word during the Middle English period.
The first known uses of "quarter" in English, around 1300, often referred to:
"One-fourth of anything": This was the fundamental meaning – literally one of four equal parts. You might hear it in contexts like dividing a slaughtered animal into its four main pieces, or a "quarter" of a measure of grain.
"Parts of the body as dismembered during execution": Grimly, one of the earliest specific uses was in the context of the brutal punishment of "hanging, drawing, and quartering," where a body was literally cut into four quarters.
From these initial meanings, "quarter" expanded to describe all sorts of "fourth parts" – a quarter of an hour (15 minutes), a quarter of a year (three months), or even a specific coin worth one-fourth of a dollar.
The meaning of "a region" or "a distinct part of a town" (like a "French Quarter") also developed from this idea of dividing up space, perhaps originally thinking of a city divided into four sections. Similarly, "quarters" as a place to live (like military barracks) came from the idea of being assigned a "portion" or "section" of a dwelling.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Quarter
Here's a list of phrases and idioms using "quarter":
At close quarters: In a very near position; very close together.
Give no quarter: To show no mercy or leniency, especially in a fight or argument.
Quarter past/to (the hour): Fifteen minutes after or before the hour.
The last quarter: The final period of a game, a fiscal year, or a phase of life.
A quarter of a century: Twenty-five years.
From every quarter: From all directions or sources.
To quarter (an animal): To cut an animal into four pieces.
To draw and quarter: A historical method of execution involving dismemberment.
To be quartered: To be housed or lodged (e.g., soldiers in barracks).
Fair quarter: Fair treatment or mercy, often in a conflict.
To ride a quarter horse: Referring to a specific breed of horse known for speed over short distances.
New money in the old quarter: (Original) Referring to an influx of wealth or change in an established, traditional area.
Turning the quarter: (Lesser-known/Original) A point of significant change or transition, especially at a specific, marked interval.
Not a quarter of it: Not even a small part of the full extent or truth.
Off-quarters: (Lesser-known/Original) Refers to time or location away from one's regular or assigned living or working space.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of quarter from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
