quad

1 of 8

noun (1)

ˈkwäd 

: quadrangle

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

: quadruplet

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

Synonyms

Noun (1)

• courtyard
• quadrangle
• patio
• enclosure

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

And 22-year-old Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero was named as the replacement for Alex Bregman of the Boston Red Sox, who’s on the IL with a strained quad. —Chad Jennings, New York Times, 9 July 2025

Bregman’s last appearance in a ball game this season was on May 23rd after sustaining a right quad strain against the Baltimore Orioles. —Wayne G. McDonnell, Forbes.com, 7 July 2025

Verb

The Fever are 2-3 on the season, a disappointing start made even worse by a Caitlin Clark quad injury that is projected to keep her out for a couple of weeks. —Kilty Cleary, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 May 2025

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

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

Phrases Containing quad

• quad bike
• quad meet

Rhymes for quad

• awed
• baaed
• baud
• bawd
• brod
• clawed
• cod
• flawed
• fraud
• gnawed
• god
• jawed

Kids Definition

quad

noun

ˈkwäd

: quadruplet

Medical Definition

quad

noun

ˈkwäd 

: quadriceps

—usually used in plural