quadrant
[ kwod-ruh nt ]
/ ˈkwɒd rənt /
noun
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/, adjective quad·rant·like, adjectiveWords nearby quadrant
Example sentences from the Web for quadrantal
The errors of the compass in an iron ship are mainly the semicircular error and the quadrantal error.
Lord Kelvin |Andrew Gray
British Dictionary definitions for quadrantal
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), adjectiveWord Origin for quadrant
C14: from Latin
quadrāns a quarter
Medical definitions for quadrantal
quadrant
[ kwŏd′rənt ]
n.
A circular arc of 90 degrees; one fourth of the circumference of a circle.
A quarter portion of any roughly circular anatomical area such as the abdomen, measuring along imaginary axes at right angles to each other.
Other words from quadrant
quad•ran′tic (kwŏ-drăn′tĭk) adj.Scientific definitions for quadrantal
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.