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

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verb

quadded; quadding

transitive verb

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

quad

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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

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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

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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

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
And for those looking for something beyond the usual sand and sea, there are trails for hiking, biking, off-roading on rental quads, kayaking, and more. Jessica Poitevien, Travel + Leisure, 4 Mar. 2024 This season, Aspen has unveiled Hero’s, a high-speed quad lift and 150 acres of expert terrain on the upper, eastern side of Ajax Mountain, along with Mollie, a new 68-room boutique hotel perched at Paepcke Park in the center of downtown. Elycia Rubin, The Hollywood Reporter, 2 Mar. 2024 Drone imagery also shows quad bikes, also known as ATVs, aflame in the daylight, on empty, ghostly plains of rubble and carcasses. Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, 29 Feb. 2024 The funky contraptions look more like recumbent bikes than your standard bicycle with chairs as opposed to bicycle seats, all pieced together into a quad. Kylie Martin, Detroit Free Press, 26 Feb. 2024 Cincinnati Bengals – Byron Murphy II, DT, Texas DJ Reader is recovering from a torn quad and might find a richer deal elsewhere in free agency. Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz, USA TODAY, 23 Feb. 2024 Reader missed the last three games with a torn quad. Jason Williams, The Enquirer, 8 Jan. 2024 Skiing Info Deer Valley Resort has 21 lifts — a high-speed four-passenger gondola, 14 high-speed quad lifts, 5 triple chairs, and one double chair — to access its 103 runs. Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 20 Feb. 2024 According to an article on the new lifts, initial quotes for high-speed quads on the Coach lift came in around $6 million. Nicole Blanchard, Idaho Statesman, 16 Feb. 2024
Verb
Keep your core, butt, and quads tight, and avoid arching your back. Shauna Harrison, SELF, 28 Mar. 2023

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 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

quad

noun
ˈkwäd

Medical Definition

quad

noun
: quadriceps
usually used in plural

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