Illustration of quadrant
- quadrant 2
quadrant
noun
quad·rant
ˈkwä-drənt 
1
a
: an instrument for measuring altitudes consisting commonly of a graduated arc of 90 degrees with an index or vernier and usually having a plumb line or spirit level for fixing the vertical or horizontal direction
b
: a device or mechanical part shaped like or suggestive of the quadrant of a circle
2
a
: an arc of 90 degrees that is one quarter of a circle
b
: the area bounded by a quadrant and two radii
3
a
: any of the four parts into which a plane is divided by rectangular coordinate axes lying in that plane
b
: any of the four quarters into which something is divided by two real or imaginary lines that intersect each other at right angles
Did you know?
This word is used for a traditional instrument, used to make calculations of altitude and traditionally employed by sailors to navigate, which has a piece shaped like a quarter of a circle. A quadrant shower is a shower that fits snugly into a bathroom corner and displays a curved front, making a quadrant shape on the floor. But perhaps quadrant is used most often today to name a particular quarter of a city.
Examples of quadrant in a Sentence
Draw two intersecting lines that divide the page into four quadrants.
The town is located in the northwest quadrant of the state.
Recent Examples on the Web
Westmoreland Parish—Russia community in Savanna-la-Mar (The Southeastern quadrant of Savannah la Mar east of Darling Street and south of the A2 highway/Barracks Road), Morgan Bay, Kings Valley, The Whitehall, Bethel Town, and Red Ground neighborhoods of Negril.
—
Jordan King, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 May 2025
Along with the seven stars that compose the Big Dipper, its surrounding stars sprawl across a whole quadrant of the sky.
—Joe Rao, Space.com, 16 May 2025
Although the Glazers were, in part, mistakenly credited with the decision to increase Old Trafford’s capacity to 76,000 by developing the north-west and north-east quadrants of the stadium, planning permission and construction contracts were already in place before the takeover.
—Laurie Whitwell, New York Times, 11 May 2025
In 2001, a journalist launched the Political Compass, a tool designed to move beyond such simplifications by adding a social scale perpendicular to the economic one, creating ideological quadrants that have since become a staple of political-science classes.
—Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 2 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for quadrant
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Jordan King, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 May 2025
Along with the seven stars that compose the Big Dipper, its surrounding stars sprawl across a whole quadrant of the sky.
—Joe Rao, Space.com, 16 May 2025
Although the Glazers were, in part, mistakenly credited with the decision to increase Old Trafford’s capacity to 76,000 by developing the north-west and north-east quadrants of the stadium, planning permission and construction contracts were already in place before the takeover.
—Laurie Whitwell, New York Times, 11 May 2025
In 2001, a journalist launched the Political Compass, a tool designed to move beyond such simplifications by adding a social scale perpendicular to the economic one, creating ideological quadrants that have since become a staple of political-science classes.
—Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 2 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for quadrant
Cite this Entry
“Quadrant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quadrant. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
quadrant
noun
quad·rant
ˈkwäd-rənt
1
: an arc of 90° : one quarter of a circle
2
: any of the four quarters into which something is divided by two real or imaginary lines that intersect each other at right angles
Medical Definition
quadrant
noun
quad·rant
ˈkwäd-rənt
1
: an arc of 90° that is one quarter of a circle
2
: any of the four more or less equivalent segments into which an anatomic structure may be divided by vertical and horizontal partitioning through its midpoint
pain in the lower right quadrant of the abdomen
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