quarter
n. countablen. one of four equal parts of something. You use this to talk about time, money, or parts of a whole year.
n. one of four equal parts into which something is or can be divided. Often used to denote a three-month period in financial reporting or a fifteen-minute interval in timekeeping.
I cut the apple into quarters for the children.
The company reported a significant increase in profits during the third quarter of the fiscal year.
While the first quarter of the match was dominated by defensive play, the momentum shifted dramatically once the visiting team adjusted their formation.
From Middle English quarter, from Anglo-Norman quarter, from Latin quartarius, from quartus. Compare Spanish cuarto (“room, quarters; quarter”). Doublet of quartier.
Borrowed from French cartayer.
Commonly used with 'of' to indicate the whole being divided. In financial contexts, it is often abbreviated as 'Q' followed by a number.
a quarter of houra quarter of an hourWhen used to describe time, 'quarter' requires an article before the unit of time it modifies.