quadrate

adjective

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quad·rate | \ ˈkwä-ˌdrāt

, -drət

Definition of quadrate

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : being square or approximately square

2 of a heraldic cross : expanded into a square at the junction of the arms — see cross illustration

3 : of, relating to, or constituting a bony or cartilaginous element of each side of the skull to which the lower jaw is articulated in most vertebrates below mammals

quadrate

noun

Definition of quadrate (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : an approximately square or cubical area, space, or body

2 : a quadrate bone

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Adjective

Sharp-eyed readers may recognize the "quad" in "quadrate," suggesting the number four. "Quadrate" is in fact a relative of Latin quattuor, meaning "four," though its direct line of descent links to quadrum, meaning "square." Other descendants of "quadrum" in English include "quadrille" (a square dance for four couples), "quarrel" (a square-headed bolt or arrow), and "quarry" (a place where large amounts of stone are dug out of the ground); the latter of these can be traced back to a Latin word meaning "squared stone." "Quadrate," incidentally, can also be used in much more specific senses to describe a type of heraldic cross or a portion of the skull in some vertebrates.