Advertisement
260 entries found
Quadragesima (n.)
c. 1600, from Medieval Latin quadragesima (dies) "the fortieth (day)," altered diminutive of Latin quadrigesimus "fortieth," from quadriginta "forty," related to quattuor "four" (from PIE root *kwetwer- "four"). Related: Quadragesimal.
Related entries & more 
Advertisement
quadrangle (n.)
late 14c., from Old French quadrangle (13c.) and directly from Late Latin quadrangulum "four-sided figure," noun use of neuter of Latin adjective quadrangulus "having four quarters," from Latin quattuor "four" (from PIE root *kwetwer- "four") + angulus "angle" (see angle (n.)). Meaning "four-sided court between buildings" is from 1590s.
Related entries & more 
quadrangular (adj.)
early 15c., from Medieval Latin quadrangularis "having four corners," from Late Latin quadrangulus (see quadrangle).
Related entries & more 
quadrant (n.)
late 14c., "a quarter of a day, six hours," from Middle French quadrant, from Latin quadrantem (nominative quadrans) "fourth part," also the name of a coin worth a quarter of an as, noun use of present participle of quadrare "to make square; put in order, arrange, complete; run parallel, be exact," figuratively "to fit, suit, be proper," related to quadrus "a square," quattuor "four" (from PIE root *kwetwer- "four"). The surveying instrument is first so called c. 1400, because it forms a quarter circle. Related: Quadrantal.
Related entries & more 
quadraphonic (adj.)
1969, irregular formation from quadri- "four" + phonic, from Greek phone "sound, voice," from PIE root *bha- (2) "to speak, tell, say." The goal was to reproduce front-to-back sound distribution in addition to side-to-side stereo. The later term for the same idea, surround sound, is preferable to this.
Related entries & more 
Advertisement
quadrat (n.)
"a blank, low-cast type used by typographers to fill in larger spaces in printed lines," 1680s, from French quadrat "a quadrat," literally "a square," from Latin quadratrus, past participle of quadrare "to make square," related to quadrus "a square," quattuor "four" (from PIE root *kwetwer- "four"). Earlier in English it meant a type of surveying instrument (c. 1400).
Related entries & more 
quadratic (adj.)
1650s, "square," with -ic + obsolete quadrate "a square; a group of four things" (late 14c.), from Latin quadratum, noun use of neuter adjective quadratus "square, squared," past participle of quadrare "to square, make square; put in order," related to quadrus "a square," quattuor "four" (from PIE root *kwetwer- "four"). Quadratic equations (1660s) so called because they involve the square of x.
Related entries & more 
quadratus (n.)
"square-shaped muscle," 1727, from Latin quadratus "square, squared," past participle of quadrare "to square, make square; put in order," related to quadrus "a square," quattuor "four" (from PIE root *kwetwer- "four").
Related entries & more 
quadrennial (adj.)
1650s, "lasting four years;" as "happening once every four years," 1701; from quadri- + ending from biennial, etc. Correct formation would be quadriennial (compare Latin quadriennium "period of four years"). As a noun from 1640s. Related: Quadrennially.
Related entries & more 
quadricentennial (n.)
also quadri-centennial, 1859, from quadri- + centennial.
Related entries & more 

Page 3

Advertisement

Trending Words

© 2001-2020 Douglas Harper