quad

1 of 8

noun (1)

quad

2 of 8

noun (2)

: a type-metal space that is one en or more in width

quad

3 of 8

verb

quadded; quadding

transitive verb

: to fill out (something, such as a typeset line) with blank space

quad

4 of 8

noun (3)

plural quads
1
2
: a ski lift that holds four people
3
: a jump (as in figure skating or skiing) that consists of at least four but less than five revolutions
Last month Leaver announced that Boitano would not try the jump for which he is best known, the quadruple toe loop, at the Olympics. Never performed successfully in competition, the quad has become the slippery grail of skating.Jill Smolowe
4
or less commonly quad bike : a four-wheeled all-terrain vehicle

quad

5 of 8

adjective

1
: having or composed of four items or elements : quadruple sense 1
The F/A-18 flight-control system … is characterized by quad redundancy, which means that there are essentially four levels of sensing and actuation for each control surface.McGraw-Hill Yearbook Of Science And Technology
Quad skates are roller skates that have four wheels arranged in two rows, while inline skates have them in one line.Jenee Osterheldt
2
: quadraphonic
Domestic quad listening needs two additional loudspeakers over stereo, and two more amplifiers, plus the black box which allocates some of the sounds to the rear left/right, and others to the front left/right.George Steedman

quad

6 of 8

noun (4)

: quadraphonic sound

quad

7 of 8

noun (5)

: a unit of energy equal to one quadrillion British thermal units

quad

8 of 8

noun (6)

plural quads
informal
: the greater extensor muscle of the front of the thigh that is divided into four parts : quadriceps
usually plural
"Usually after a heptathlon I can tell if I'm not going to do well jumping. My quads get tired."Jackie Joyner-Kersee
Dick Williams, Seattle manager, on shortstop Spike Owen's injured quads: "I never had any quads when I played."Sports Illustrated

Examples of quad in a Sentence

Noun (1) the quad was the college's time-honored site for protests and celebrations
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Glick and his partners originally owned a grassy parcel on the western portion of the site known as the quad. Joe Rubino, The Denver Post, 15 Oct. 2024 Up north near the Michigan state line, the University of Notre Dame boasts two lakes and multiple quad spaces for people to meander. Alysa Guffey, The Indianapolis Star, 12 Sep. 2024 In 2019, a student at Saugus High opened fire in a crowded quad, killing two classmates and injuring three others before killing himself. Hailey Branson-Potts, Los Angeles Times, 8 Aug. 2024 Step forward about two feet with your right foot, and rest your right hand on your right quad. Amy Marturana Winderl, SELF, 9 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for quad 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'quad.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (2)

short for quadrat

Noun (5)

short for quadrillion

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1820, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

circa 1879, in the meaning defined above

Verb

circa 1888, in the meaning defined above

Noun (3)

1896, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1881, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (4)

1971, in the meaning defined above

Noun (5)

1974, in the meaning defined above

Noun (6)

1954, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of quad was in 1820

Dictionary Entries Near quad

Cite this Entry

“Quad.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quad. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

quad

noun
ˈkwäd

Medical Definition

quad

noun
: quadriceps
usually used in plural

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