- (also fourth especially in North American English)[countable] one of four equal parts of something
- quarter of something a quarter of an hour/a century
- a quarter of a mile/million
- Almost a quarter of respondents reported employment discrimination.
- three quarters of all potential customers
- The programme lasted an hour and a quarter.
- Cut the apple into quarters.
- The theatre was about three quarters full.
- (especially North American English) He completed his last work a quarter century ago.
Grammar Point half / whole / quarterhalf / whole / quarter- Half, whole and quarter 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.
- 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.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverb + quarter- break something into quarters
- cut something into quarters
- divide something into quarters
- …
- quarter of
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- [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.
- (North American English also) It's quarter of four now—I'll meet you at quarter after.
- [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 2024.
Extra ExamplesTopics Timec1- Profits fell during the third quarter.
- the current fiscal quarter
- six consecutive quarters of improved earnings
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- first
- second
- third
- …
- during the quarter
- [countable, usually singular] a district or part of a town
- the historic quarter of the city
- As a student in Paris, she loved the Latin quarter.
- The robbery took place in a normally quiet quarter of the town.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- historic
- old
- Arab
- …
- [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.
- The move was met with complaints from all quarters (= from everyone).
Extra Examples- The problem was being discussed in all quarters.
- There was no comment from official quarters on the allegations.
- [countable] a coin of the US and Canada worth 25 centsTopics Moneyc1
- quarters[plural] rooms that are provided for soldiers, servants, etc. to live in
- We were moved to more comfortable living quarters.
- the servants'/officers' quarters
Extra Examples- He was confined to quarters as a punishment.
- The corporal and his family lived in married quarters.
- the president's private quarters
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- comfortable
- spacious
- confined
- …
- be confined to
- [countable] the period of time twice a month when we can see a quarter of the moon
- The moon is in its first quarter.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- first
- second
- third
- …
- during the quarter
- [countable] one of the four periods of time into which a game of American football is divided
- Ford scored the winning touchdown early in the fourth quarter.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- first
- second
- third
- …
- during the quarter
- [countable] (British English) a unit for measuring weight, a quarter of a pound; 4 ounces
- [countable] a unit for measuring weight, 28 pounds in the UK or 25 pounds in the US; a quarter of a hundredweight
- [uncountable] (literary) kind treatment of an enemy or opponent who is in your power synonym mercy
- His rivals knew that they could expect no quarter from such a ruthless adversary.
1 of 4 parts
15 minutes
3 months
part of town
person/group
25 cents
rooms to live in
of moon
in sport
weight
pity
Word OriginMiddle English: from Old French quartier, from Latin quartarius ‘fourth part of a measure’, from quartus ‘fourth’, from quattuor ‘four’.
Idioms
See quarter in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee quarter in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic Englishat/from close quarters
- very near
- fighting at close quarters
Check pronunciation:
quarter