quarter

quar|ter1 [ `kwɔrtər ] noun ***

▸ 1 one of four equal parts

▸ 2 coin worth 25 cents

▸ 3 part of town

▸ 4 particular person/group

▸ 5 kind behavior

▸ 6 unit of weight

1. ) count one of four equal parts of something:

quarter of: Over a quarter of our income goes for food.

Nearly three quarters of the children were ill.

a ) one of four periods of 15 minutes that an hour is divided into when you are telling the time. When the time is 15 minutes after the hour, American people usually say a quarter after the hour and British people always say quarter past the hour. When the time is 15 minutes before the hour, American people usually say a quarter of the hour and British people always say quarter to the hour:

They arrived at quarter after three.

b ) one of four periods of three months that the year is divided into, especially when you are talking about financial accounts:

The company's profits fell in the third quarter.

c ) one of four periods that a game is divided into in some sports

2. ) count a coin that is worth one quarter of an American or Canadian dollar, or 25 CENTS

3. ) count a part of a town where you find particular buildings, activities, or people:

the Chinese quarter of the city

a house in the student quarter

4. ) count often plural FORMAL a particular person or group of people:

from this/that quarter (=from one particular person or group): I knew there would be a lot of trouble from that quarter.

in some quarters (=among some people or groups): Concern has been expressed in some quarters about this policy.

from all quarters (=from all people or groups): He has won support from all quarters.

5. ) uncount LITERARY kind behavior toward someone you have defeated or someone who is under your authority:

give/get no quarter: Any man found breaking the rules would be given absolutely no quarter.

6. ) count BRITISH a unit for measuring weight, containing four OUNCES and equal to 0.113 KILOGRAMS

quarter

quar|ter 2 [ `kwɔtər ] verb transitive

1. ) to cut something into four equal parts:

Quarter the apples and put them in a pan.

2. ) FORMAL to give soldiers a place to live temporarily:

Most of the men were quartered in the village hall.