QUARTER, n. quort'er. [L. quartus, the fourth part.]

1. The fourth part; as, the quarter of an hour or of a mile; one quarter of the expense. Living is a quarter dearer in the city than in the country.
2. In weight, the fourth part of a hundred pounds avoirdupois, or of 112 lbs., that is, 28 lbs.; as, a quarter of sugar.
3. In dry measure, the fourth of a tun in weight, or eight bushels; as, a quarter of wheat.
4. In astronomy, the fourth part of the moon's period or monthly revolution; as, the first quarter after the change or full.
5. A region in the hemisphere or great circle; primarily, one of the four cardinal points; as, the four quarters of the globe; but used indifferently for any region or point of compass. From what quarter does the wind blow? Hence,
6. A particular region of a town, city or country; as, all quarters of the city; in every quarter of the country or of the continent. Hence,
7. Usually in the plural, quarters, the place of lodging or temporary residence; appropriately, the place where officers and soldiers lodge, but applied to the lodgings of any temporary resident. He called on the general at his quarters; the place furnished good winter quarters for the troops. I saw the stranger at his quarters.
8. Proper station. Swift to their several quarters hasten then. – Milton. Bacon uses the word in the singular. “Make love keep quarter.”
9. On board of ships, quarters signifies the stations or places where the officers and men are posted in action. Pipe all hands to quarters.
10. In military affairs, the remission or sparing of the life of a captive or an enemy when in one's power; mercy granted by a conqueror to his enemy, when no longer able to defend himself. In desperate encounters, men will sometimes neither ask nor give quarter. The barbarous practice of giving no quarter to soldiers in a fortress taken by assault, is nearly obsolete. He magnified his own clemency, now they were at his mercy, to offer them quarter for their lives, if they would give up the castle. – Clarendon. Lambs at the mercy of wolves must expect no quarter. – L'Estrange.
11. Treatment shown to an enemy; indulgence. To the young, if you give tolerable quarter, you indulge them in idleness and ruin them. [Rarely used.] – Collier.
12. Friendship; amity; concord. [Not in use.] – Shak.
13. In the slaughter house, one limb of a quadruped with the adjoining parts; or one-fourth part of the carcass of a quadruped, including a limb; as, a fore quarter, or hind quarter.
14. In the menage, the quarters of a horse's foot are the sides of the coffin, between the toe and the heel. False quarters, are a cleft in the horn of the hoof, extending from the coronet to the shoe, or from top to bottom. When for any disorder, one of the quarters is cut, the horse is said to be quarter-cast. – Encyc.
15. In a siege, quarters are the encampment on one of the principal passages round the place besieged, to prevent relief and intercept convoys. – Encyc.
16. In seminaries of learning, a fourth part of the year, or three months. Tuition and board at twenty-five dollars the quarter. This is a moderate quarter bill.
17. The quarter of a ship, is the part of a ship's side which lies toward the stern, or the part between the aftmost end of the main-chains and the sides of the stern, where it is terminated by the quarter-pieces. – Mar. Dict.
18. In heraldry, [one of the divisions of a shield, when it is divided cross-wise.—E. H. B.] On the quarter, in seamen's language, is a point in the horizon considerably abaft the beam, but not in the direction of the stern. Quarter-bill, among seamen, is a list containing the different stations where the officers and crew are to take post in time of action, and the names of the men assigned to each. Quarter-cloths, long pieces of painted canvas, extended on the outside of the quarter-netting from the upper part of the gallery to the gangway. Quarter-deck, that part of the deck of a ship which extends from the stern to the mainmast. But in some kinds of vessels, the quarter-deck does not extend to the mainmast, but is raised above the main deck. Quarter-gallery, a sort of balcony on the quarters of a ship. Quarter-railing, narrow molded planks, reaching from the top of the stern to the gangway, serving as a fence to the quarter-deck. Quarter-master, in an army, an officer whose business is to attend to the quarters for the soldiers, their provisions, fuel, forage, &c.; in the navy, an officer who assists the mates in their duties, in stowing the hold, coiling the cables, attending the steerage, and keeping time by the watch glasses. Quarter-master-general, in military affairs, is an officer whose duty is to mark the marches and encampments of an army the head-quarters, the place for the artillery, and procure supplies of provisions and forage, &c. Quarter-staff, a long staff borne by foresters and park-keepers, as a badge of office and a weapon. – Encyc. #2. A staff of defense. – Dryden. Quarter-sessions, in England, a general court held quarterly by the justices of peace of each county, with jurisdiction to try and determine felonies and trespasses; but capital offenses are seldom or never tried in this court. – Blackstone. Quarter-round, in architecture, the echinus or ovolo. Head-quarters, the tent or mansion of the commander in chief of an army.

The part of a shoe forming the side from the heel to the vamp.

To lodge; to have a temporary residence. The general quarters at a hotel in Church-street.

1. To divide into four equal parts.
2. To divide; to separate into parts. – Shak.
3. To divide into distinct regions or compartments. The sailors quarter'd heaven. – Dryden.
4. To station soldiers for lodging; as, to quarter troops in the city or among the inhabitants, or on the inhabitants.
5. To lodge; to fix on a temporary dwelling. They mean this night in Sardis to be quarter'd. – Shak.
6. To diet. [Not in use.] – Hudibras.
7. To bear as an appendage to the hereditary arms. The coat of Beauchamp … quartered by the Earl of Hertford. – Peacham. [To quarter arms, is to place the arms of other families in the compartments of a shield, which is divided into four quarters, the family arms being placed in the first quarter. But when more than three other arms are to be quartered with the family arms, it is usual to divide the shield into a suitable number of compartments; and still the arms are said to be quartered. A person has a right to quarter the arms of any family from an heiress, of which he is descended.— E. H. B.]

1. One of four equal parts into which anything is divided, or is regarded as divided; a fourth part or portion; as, a quarter of a dollar, of a pound, of a yard, of an hour, etc.
   
   
   Hence, specifically: (a)
2. To divide into four equal parts.
   
   

3. To lodge; to have a temporary residence.
4. To drive a carriage so as to prevent the wheels from going into the ruts, or so that a rut shall be between the wheels.
   
   

   Every creature that met us would rely on us for quartering. De Quincey.

5. Proper station; specific place; assigned position; special location.
   
   

   Swift to their several quarters hasted then
   The cumbrous elements. Milton.

   Hence, specifically: (a) (Naut.)

6. To divide; to separate into parts or regions.
   
   

   Then sailors quartered heaven. Dryden.

7. Friendship; amity; concord.
   
   
   [Obs.] To keep quarter, to keep one's proper place, and so be on good terms with another. [Obs.]

   In quarter, and in terms like bride and groom. Shak.

   I knew two that were competitors for the secretary's place, . . . and yet kept good quarter between themselves. Bacon.

   False quarter, a cleft in the quarter of a horse's foot. -- Fifth quarter, the hide and fat; -- a butcher's term. -- On the quarter (Naut.), in a direction between abeam and astern; opposite, or nearly opposite, a vessel's quarter. -- Quarter aspect. (Astrol.) Same as Quadrate. - - Quarter back (Football), the player who has position next behind center rush, and receives the ball on the snap back. -- Quarter badge (Naut.), an ornament on the side of a vessel near, the stern. Mar. Dict. -- Quarter bill (Naut.), a list specifying the different stations to be taken by the officers and crew in time of action, and the names of the men assigned to each. -- Quarter block (Naut.), a block fitted under the quarters of a yard on each side of the slings, through which the clew lines and sheets are reeved. R. H. Dana, Jr. -- Quarter boat (Naut.), a boat hung at a vessel's quarter. -- Quarter cloths (Naut.), long pieces of painted canvas, used to cover the quarter netting. -- Quarter day, a day regarded as terminating a quarter of the year; hence, one on which any payment, especially rent, becomes due. In matters influenced by United States statutes, quarter days are the first days of January, April, July, and October. In New York and many other places, as between landlord and tenant, they are the first days of May, August, November, and February. The quarter days usually recognized in England are 25th of March (Lady Day), the 24th of June (Midsummer Day), the 29th of September (Michaelmas Day), and the 25th of December (Christmas Day). -- Quarter face, in fine arts, portrait painting, etc., a face turned away so that but one quarter is visible. -- Quarter gallery (Naut.), a balcony on the quarter of a ship. See Gallery, 4. -- Quarter gunner (Naut.), a petty officer who assists the gunner. -- Quarter look, a side glance. [Obs.] B. Jonson. -- Quarter nettings (Naut.), hammock nettings along the quarter rails. -- Quarter note (Mus.), a note equal in duration to half a minim or a fourth of semibreve; a crochet. -- Quarter pieces (Naut.), several pieces of timber at the after-part of the quarter gallery, near the taffrail. Totten. -- Quarter point. (Naut.) See Quarter, n., 1 (n). -- Quarter railing, or Quarter rails (Naut.), narrow molded planks reaching from the top of the stern to the gangway, serving as a fence to the quarter-deck. -- Quarter sessions (Eng. Law), a general court of criminal jurisdiction held quarterly by the justices of peace in counties and by the recorders in boroughs. -- Quarter square (Math.), the fourth part of the square of a number. Tables of quarter squares have been devised to save labor in multiplying numbers. -- Quarter turn, Quarter turn belt (Mach.), an arrangement in which a belt transmits motion between two shafts which are at right angles with each other. -- Quarter watch (Naut.), a subdivision of the full watch (one fourth of the crew) on a man-of- war. -- To give, or show, quarter (Mil.), to accept as prisoner, on submission in battle; to forbear to kill, as a vanquished enemy. -- To keep quarter. See Quarter, n., 3.

8. To furnish with shelter or entertainment; to supply with the means of living for a time; especially, to furnish shelter to; as, to quarter soldiers.
   
   

   They mean this night in Sardis to be quartered. Shak.

9. To furnish as a portion; to allot.
   
   
   [R.]

   This isle . . .
   He quarters to his blue-haired deities. Milton.

10. To arrange (different coats of arms) upon one escutcheon, as when a man inherits from both father and mother the right to bear arms.
    
    

    * When only two coats of arms are so combined they are arranged in four compartments. See Quarter, n., 1 (f).