: a type-metal space that is one en or more in width
quadded; quadding
: to fill out (something, such as a typeset line) with blank space
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
Jill Smolowe4
or less commonly quad bike
: a four-wheeled all-terrain vehicle
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
McGraw-Hill Yearbook Of Science And TechnologyQuad skates are roller skates that have four wheels arranged in two rows, while inline skates have them in one line.—Jenee Osterheldt
Jenee Osterheldt2
: 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
George Steedman
: quadraphonic sound
: a unit of energy equal to one quadrillion British thermal units
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
Jackie Joyner-KerseeDick Williams, Seattle manager, on shortstop Spike Owen's injured quads: "I never had any quads when I played."—Sports Illustrated
Sports IllustratedExamples 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
Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 17 May 2025
The exercise also requires quad and glute strength to keep your legs steady throughout the movement.
—Anna Maltby, New York Times, 12 May 2025
Henry Chappell, Kansas City Star, 26 Mar. 2025
Our splitboard crew embarked on mini-epics in these out-of-bounds zones, grateful to the Crystal Express quad for the boost before resorting to skintracks and bootpacks.
—Drew Zieff, Outside Online, 15 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for quad
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Noun
On April 30th, university police descended on the students who had gathered in the quad to watch the film, violently dispersed them, and literally confiscated their projection screen.
—Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 17 May 2025
The exercise also requires quad and glute strength to keep your legs steady throughout the movement.
—Anna Maltby, New York Times, 12 May 2025
Verb
Last season, Mizzou advanced to the Gainesville Regional final but finished that quad third to miss out on a berth to nationals.
—Henry Chappell, Kansas City Star, 26 Mar. 2025
Our splitboard crew embarked on mini-epics in these out-of-bounds zones, grateful to the Crystal Express quad for the boost before resorting to skintracks and bootpacks.
—Drew Zieff, Outside Online, 15 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for quad
Cite this Entry
“Quad.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quad. Accessed 29 May. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
quad
noun
: quadriceps
—usually used in plural
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