quadrate

1 of 2

adjective

quad·​rate ˈkwä-ˌdrāt  -drət 

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

2 of 2

noun

1

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

2

: a quadrate bone

Did you know?

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.

Synonyms

Adjective

• square
• rectangular
• cubic

Examples of quadrate in a Sentence

Adjective

the four museum buildings surround a quadrate courtyard that is formally landscaped

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Its skull also showed reduced articulations between key bones and a shallow quadrate angle, both of which are associated with piscivory. —Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2025

Noun

Their early forms had a jaw joint that was made of two completely different bones–the quadrate of the skull and the articular in the lower jaw and the quadrate in the skull. —Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 25 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, from Latin quadratus, past participle of quadrare to make square, fit, from quadrum square; akin to Latin quattuor four

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for quadrate

• subquadrate

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