quadrant

[ kwod-ruhnt ]

/ ˈkwɒd rənt /

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See synonyms for quadrant on Thesaurus.com

noun

a quarter of a circle; an arc of 90°.

the area included between such an arc and two radii drawn one to each extremity.

something shaped like a quarter of a circle, as a part of a machine.

Geometry, Astronomy. one of the four parts into which a plane, as the face of a heavenly body, is divided by two perpendicular lines, numbered counterclockwise from upper right: the first quadrant of the moon.

an instrument, usually containing a graduated arc of 90°, used in astronomy, navigation, etc., for measuring altitudes.

Astrology. one of the four quarters of the horoscope: determined by the ascendant, nadir, descendant, and midheaven and numbered counterclockwise from the ascendant.

Furniture. one of two metal sliding pieces, of quadrant form, used to support the fall front of a desk from above.

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Origin of quadrant

1350–1400; Middle English <Latin quadrant- (stem of quadrāns) fourth part

OTHER WORDS FROM quadrant

quad·ran·tal

[kwo-dran-tl], /kwɒˈdræn tl/, adjectivequad·rant·like, adjective

Words nearby quadrant

Quadragesima, Quadragesimal, quadrangle, quadrangular, quadrans, quadrant, quadrantal corrector, Quadrantid, Quadrantids, quadraphonic, quadraphonics

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use quadrant in a sentence

Gohara suggests starting small—a quarter of a pea-sized dollop for every quadrant of your face.
7 things you can do to actually prevent wrinkles|Sandra Gutierrez|July 13, 2021|Popular-Science
Focus on each quadrant of the mouth and make sure to brush where your teeth meet your gums.
Brush up on how to care for your teeth with these tips from dentists|Allyson Chiu|June 17, 2021|Washington Post
It became a leading news outlet in the agriculturally rich, deeply conservative counties of southeast Arkansas, the most traditionally southern quadrant of the state.
Edmond Freeman, newspaper publisher who shook up 1960s Arkansas, dies at 94|Tom Hamburger|May 6, 2021|Washington Post
If you imagine all the experiences we can have, from in-person to online, or recorded to live, up to now almost everything in life fit neatly into one of those quadrants.
mmhmm, Phil Libin’s new startup, acquires Memix to add enhanced filters to its video presentation toolkit|Ingrid Lunden|October 23, 2020|TechCrunch

There was a sheet of plastic dividing us, and the market had been sectioned into quadrants for distance.
Fiction: Quiet earth philosophy|Katie McLean|October 21, 2020|MIT Technology Review
Point it south and it shows you the stars and planets in that quadrant of the sky.
Apps for Kids Who Love to Read: Moonbot Studios, Touch Press, and More|Malcolm Jones|December 24, 2011|DAILY BEAST
It was a "one-quadrant" film, appealing only to adult women.
Inside the Eat Pray Love Merchandising Machine|Lauren Streib|August 17, 2010|DAILY BEAST
People forget all too readily, but Greenspan is a consultant to Pimco, the largest bond manager in this quadrant of the galaxy.
Greenspan's Hidden Agenda|Paul Kedrosky|February 18, 2009|DAILY BEAST
In the Eastern Quadrant will be seen some specimens of present-day attire, chiefly ladies' and children's dresses.
Little Folks|Various
A quadrant of a circle is one quarter of the same, being bounded on two of its sides by two radial lines, as in Figure 49.
Mechanical Drawing Self-Taught|Joshua Rose
There must also be change wheels, studs and quadrant plates, self-acting feed for surfacing and cross slide, and clamping nuts.
Practical Mechanics for Boys|J. S. Zerbe
The discovery of the latitude is easily effected by the quadrant, but the longitude is the difficulty.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXLII. Vol. LV. April, 1844|Various
"It is very nice here," said Boris Stefanovitch, looking across to the Quadrant with wistful, melancholy eyes.
The Strand Magazine, Volume XXVII, January 1904, No. 157|Various

British Dictionary definitions for quadrant

quadrant

/ (ˈkwɒdrənt) /

noun

geometry

a quarter of the circumference of a circle
the area enclosed by two perpendicular radii of a circle and its circumference
any of the four sections into which a plane is divided by two coordinate axes

a piece of a mechanism in the form of a quarter circle, esp one used as a cam or a gear sector

an instrument formerly used in astronomy and navigation for measuring the altitudes of stars, consisting of a graduated arc of 90° and a sighting mechanism attached to a movable arm

Derived forms of quadrant

quadrantal (kwɒˈdræntəl), adjective

Word Origin for quadrant

C14: from Latin quadrāns a quarter

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for quadrant

quadrant

[ kwŏd′rənt ]

An arc equal to one quarter of the circumference of a circle; an arc of 90°.

Any of the four regions into which a plane is divided by the axes of a Cartesian coordinate system. The quadrants are numbered counterclockwise one through four, beginning with the quadrant in which both the x- and y-coordinates are positive (usually the upper right quadrant).

A navigational instrument similar to a sextant but with an arc of 90° rather than 60°. See more at sextant.

quadrant

Origin of quadrant

OTHER WORDS FROM quadrant

Words nearby quadrant

Words related to quadrant

How to use quadrant in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for quadrant

Derived forms of quadrant

Word Origin for quadrant

Scientific definitions for quadrant