quar‧ter 1 S1 W2 / kwɔtə $ kwɔrtər / 名词 [可数名词]
1 amount one of four equal parts into which something can be divided → half , third
a/one quarter (of something)
a quarter of a mile
roughly one quarter of the city’s population
It’s about a page and a quarter.
three quarters (of something) (= 75% )
three quarters of a million pounds
the first/second etc quarter
in the last quarter of the 19th century
Cut the cake into quarters . ► Say a quarter of something, not ‘quarter of’ something.
2 part of an hour a period of 15 minutes :
I’ll meet you in a quarter of an hour .
She arrived three quarters of an hour (= 45 minutes ) late.
(a) quarter to (something) ( also (a) quarter of (something) ) American English (= 15 minutes before the hour )
It’s a quarter of two.
(a) quarter past (something) British English also (a) quarter after (something) ) American English (= 15 minutes after the hour )
I’ll meet you at a quarter past ten.
3 money a coin used in the US and Canada worth 25 cents
4 three months a period of three months, used especially when discussing business and financial matters
the first/second/third/fourth quarter
The company’s profits rose by 11% in the first quarter of the year.
Our database is updated every quarter. → quarterly ( 1 )
5 sport one of the four equal periods of time into which games of some sports are divided
the first/second/third/fourth quarter
The home side took the lead in the second quarter.
6 part of a city [通常单数形式] an area of a town :
I found a small flat in the student quarter.
Granada’s ancient Arab quarter
a historic quarter of the city
7 home quarters [复数形式] the rooms that are given to someone to live in as part of their job, especially servants or soldiers :
The top floor provided living quarters for the kitchen staff.
Most of the officers live in married quarters (= houses where soldiers live with their wives ) .
8 college American English one of the four periods into which a year at school or college is divided, continuing for 10 to 12 weeks → semester :
What classes are you taking this quarter?
9 moon the period of time twice a month when you can see a quarter of the moon’s surface
10 in/from … quarters among or from different groups of people :
Offers of financial help came from several quarters.
Doubts were expressed in many quarters.
11 all quarters of the Earth/globe literary everywhere in the world
12 give/receive no quarter literary if someone gives no quarter, they do not show any pity or gentleness when dealing with someone, especially an enemy :
It was a fight to the death, with no quarter given.
→ at close quarters at close 2 ( 20 )
THESAURUS
area a part of a town or country, or of the world : They live in a very wealthy area. | coastal areas
region a large area of a country or the world : the northwest region of Russia | desert regions
zone an area that is different from other areas around it in some way : a war zone | a no-parking zone | We crossed two different time zonesareas where there is a particular time compared to the rest of the world.
district one of the areas a city or town is officially divided into, or an area of a city where a particular group live or an activity happens : the Chelsea district of Manhattan | the business/financial/theatre etc district : the financial district of London
neighbourhood British English , neighborhood American English / neɪbəhʊd $ -ər- / an area of a town where people live : a friendly neighbourhood | There are lots of trees in our neighborhood.
suburb an area outside the centre of a city, where people live : a suburb of Boston
quarter an area of a town or city where people of a particular nationality live : the French quarter of New Orleans
slum an area of a city that is in very bad condition, where many poor people live : He grew up in the slums of East London.
ghetto an area of a city where poor people of a particular race or class live : a black baby born in the ghetto