Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Quarter \Quar"ter\, n. [F. quartier, L. quartarius a fourth
   part, fr. quartus the fourth. See {Quart}.]
   1. One of four equal parts into which anything is divided, or
      is regarded as divided; a fourth part or portion; as, a
      quarter of a dollar, of a pound, of a yard, of an hour,
      etc. Hence, specifically:
      (a) The fourth of a hundred-weight, being 25 or 28 pounds,
          according as the hundredweight is reckoned at 100 or
          112 pounds.
      (b) The fourth of a ton in weight, or eight bushels of
          grain; as, a quarter of wheat; also, the fourth part
          of a chaldron of coal. --Hutton.
      (c) (Astron.) The fourth part of the moon's period, or
          monthly revolution; as, the first quarter after the
          change or full.
      (d) One limb of a quadruped with the adjacent parts; one
          fourth part of the carcass of a slaughtered animal,
          including a leg; as, the fore quarters; the hind
          quarters.
      (e) That part of a boot or shoe which forms the side, from
          the heel to the vamp.
      (f) (Far.) That part on either side of a horse's hoof
          between the toe and heel, being the side of the
          coffin.
      (g) A term of study in a seminary, college, etc, etc.;
          properly, a fourth part of the year, but often longer
          or shorter.
      (h) pl. (Mil.) The encampment on one of the principal
          passages round a place besieged, to prevent relief and
          intercept convoys.
      (i) (Naut.) The after-part of a vessel's side, generally
          corresponding in extent with the quarter-deck; also,
          the part of the yardarm outside of the slings.
      (j) (Her.) One of the divisions of an escutcheon when it
          is divided into four portions by a horizontal and a
          perpendicular line meeting in the fess point.

   Note: When two coats of arms are united upon one escutcheon,
         as in case of marriage, the first and fourth quarters
         display one shield, the second and third the other. See
         {Quarter}, v. t., 5.
      (k) One of the four parts into which the horizon is
          regarded as divided; a cardinal point; a direction'
          principal division; a region; a territory.

                Scouts each coast light-armed scour, Each
                quarter, to descry the distant foe. --Milton.
      (l) A division of a town, city, or county; a particular
          district; a locality; as, the Latin quarter in Paris.
      (m) (Arch.) A small upright timber post, used in
          partitions; -- in the United States more commonly
          called {stud}.
      (n) (Naut.) The fourth part of the distance from one point
          of the compass to another, being the fourth part of
          11[deg] 15', that is, about 2[deg] 49'; -- called also
          {quarter point}.

Quarter \Quar"ter\, v. i. [F. cartayer.]
   To drive a carriage so as to prevent the wheels from going
   into the ruts, or so that a rut shall be between the wheels.

         Every creature that met us would rely on us for
         quartering.                              --De Quincey.

Quarter \Quar"ter\, v. i.
   To lodge; to have a temporary residence.

Source : WordNet®

quarter
     v 1: provide housing for (military personnel) [syn: {billet}, {canton}]
     2: pull (a person) apart with four horses tied to his
        extremities, so as to execute him; "in the old days,
        people were drawn and quartered for certain crimes" [syn:
        {draw}, {draw and quarter}]
     3: divide into quarters; "quarter an apple"
     4: divide by four; divide into quarters

quarter
     n 1: one of four equal parts; "a quarter of a pound" [syn: {one-fourth},
           {fourth}, {fourth part}, {twenty-five percent}, {quartern}]
     2: a district of a city having some distinguishing character;
        "the Latin Quarter"
     3: one of four periods of play into which some games are
        divided; "both teams scored in the first quarter"
     4: a unit of time equal to 15 minutes or a quarter of an hour;
        "it's a quarter til 4"; "a quarter after 4 o'clock"
     5: one of four periods into which the school year is divided;
        "the fall quarter ends at Christmas"
     6: a fourth part of a year; three months; "unemployment fell
        during the last quarter"
     7: one of the four major division of the compass; "the wind is
        coming from that quarter"
     8: a quarter of a hundredweight (25 pounds)
     9: a quarter of a hundredweight (28 pounds)
     10: a United States coin worth one fourth of a dollar; "he fed
         four quarters into the slot machine"
     11: an unspecified person; "he dropped a word in the right
         quarter"
     12: the rear part of a ship [syn: {stern}, {after part}, {poop},
          {tail}]
     13: piece of leather that comprises the part of a shoe or boot
         covering the heel and joining the vamp

Source : Free On-Line Dictionary of Computing

quarter
     
        Two bits.  This in turn comes from the "pieces of eight" famed
        in pirate movies - Spanish silver crowns that could be broken
        into eight pie-slice-shaped "bits" to make change.  Early in
        American history the Spanish coin was considered equal to a
        dollar, so each of these "bits" was considered worth 12.5
        cents.  Usage: rare.
     
        Synonyms: {tayste}, {crumb}, {quad}.
     
        See also {nickle}, {nibble}, {byte}, {dynner}.
     
        [{Jargon File}]
     
        (1995-01-25)