Tra từ quarter - Từ điển Oxford Advanced Learner 8th

quar·ter [quarter quarters quartered quartering] noun, verb BrE [ˈkwɔːtə(r)] NAmE [ˈkwɔːrtər]
noun

1 OF 4 PARTS
1. (also fourth especially in NAmE)countable one of four equal parts of sth
•a quarter of a mile
• The programme lasted an hour and a quarter.
• Cut the apple into quarters.
•The theatre was about three quarters full.

15 MINUTES
2. 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.
• (NAmE also) It's quarter of four now— I'll meet you at quarter after.

3 MONTHS
3. 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 2009.

PART OF TOWN
4. countable, usually singular a district or part of a town
•the Latin quarter
•the historic quarter of the city

PERSON/GROUP
5. 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.

25 CENTS
6. countable a coin of the US and Canada worth 25 cents

ROOMS TO LIVE IN
7. quartersplural rooms that are provided for soldiers, servants, etc. to live in
•We were moved to more comfortable living quarters.
•married quarters

OF MOON
8. countable the period of time twice a month when we can see a quarter of the moon
•The moon is in its first quarter.

IN SPORT
9. countable one of the four periods of time into which a game of ↑American football is divided

WEIGHT
10. countable (BrE)a unit for measuring weight, a quarter of a pound; 4 ↑ounces
11. countable a unit for measuring weight, 28 pounds in the UK or 25 pounds in the US; a quarter of a ↑hundredweight

PITY
12. uncountable (old-fashioned or literary)pity that sb shows towards an enemy or opponent who is in their power
Syn: ↑mercy
•His rivals knew that they could expect no quarter from such a ruthless adversary.
see at/from close quarters at ↑close ²_adj.

Word Origin:
Middle English: from Old French quartier, from Latin quartarius ‘fourth part of a measure’, from quartus ‘fourth’, from quattuor ‘four’.

Grammar Point:
half / whole / quarter
Quarter, half and whole 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. Note that you do not put a or the in front of half when it is used in this way: ▪ 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.

Example Bank:
•He was confined to quarters as a punishment.
•Profits fell during the third quarter.
•The corporal and his family lived in married quarters.
•The problem was being discussed in all quarters.
•There was no comment from official quarters on the allegations.
•a quarter of a century/mile/million
•a quarter of all potential customers
•a quarter of an hour
•six consecutive quarters of improved earnings
•the current fiscal quarter
•the president's private quarters
•Ford scored the winning touchdown early in the fourth quarter.
•She lives in the Latin quarter of Paris.
•The historic quarter of the city is full of grand buildings.
•The robbery took place in a normally quiet quarter of the town.

verb

DIVIDE INTO 4
1. ~ sth to cut or divide sth into four parts
•She peeled and quartered an apple.

PROVIDE ROOMS
2. ~ sb (+ adv./prep.) (formal)to provide sb with a place to eat and sleep
•The soldiers were quartered in the town.
Verb forms:

Word Origin:
Middle English: from Old French quartier, from Latin quartarius ‘fourth part of a measure’, from quartus ‘fourth’, from quattuor ‘four’.

Example Bank:
•Three hundred soldiers were quartered in the town.

See also: ↑fourth