quarter hour
noun
1
: fifteen minutes
2
: any of the quarter points of an hour
3
: a unit of academic credit representing an hour of class (such as lecture class) or three hours of laboratory work each week for an academic quarter
Examples of quarter hour in a Sentence
Trains depart every quarter hour.
I waited a quarter hour in line.
Recent Examples on the Web
Unlike conventional minute repeaters, which chime the hours, quarter hours, and minutes, this one sounds the hours, 10-minute intervals, and minutes.
—
Paige Reddinger, Robb Report, 10 Dec. 2023
The 2022 telecast attracted 13.8 million total viewers, with a 5.3 rating in the key adults 18-49 demographic in the midnight quarter hour.
—Joe Otterson, Variety, 20 Nov. 2023
Unlike traditional minute repeaters, which chime the hours, quarter hours, and minutes to audibly tell the time, the Zeitwerk Minute Repeater chimes the hours, 10-minute intervals, and minutes.
—Paige Reddinger, Robb Report, 24 Oct. 2023
For the unversed, classic minute repeaters chime the hour, quarter hours, and minutes, but the decimal variation strikes tones for the hours, the tens of minutes, and the single minutes.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 28 June 2023
Adult Swim was programming quarter hours and Fox was doing Fox shows.
—Abbey White, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 June 2023
There really seems to be no reason — beyond the fact that running times don’t seem to matter for Netflix — why Kill Boksoon lasts for two-and-a-quarter hours.
—Jordan Mintzer, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Feb. 2023
Thanks to the unique design of the new trains, passengers can remain in their comfortable seats throughout the three-and-a-quarter hour trip, immersing themselves in the ever-changing view through enormous panoramic windows.
—Ben Jones, CNN, 9 Dec. 2022
See the 2022 Oscars telecast’s live viewership and ratings broken down by quarter hour below.
—Jennifer Maas, Variety, 29 Mar. 2022
Paige Reddinger, Robb Report, 10 Dec. 2023
The 2022 telecast attracted 13.8 million total viewers, with a 5.3 rating in the key adults 18-49 demographic in the midnight quarter hour.
—Joe Otterson, Variety, 20 Nov. 2023
Unlike traditional minute repeaters, which chime the hours, quarter hours, and minutes to audibly tell the time, the Zeitwerk Minute Repeater chimes the hours, 10-minute intervals, and minutes.
—Paige Reddinger, Robb Report, 24 Oct. 2023
For the unversed, classic minute repeaters chime the hour, quarter hours, and minutes, but the decimal variation strikes tones for the hours, the tens of minutes, and the single minutes.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 28 June 2023
Adult Swim was programming quarter hours and Fox was doing Fox shows.
—Abbey White, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 June 2023
There really seems to be no reason — beyond the fact that running times don’t seem to matter for Netflix — why Kill Boksoon lasts for two-and-a-quarter hours.
—Jordan Mintzer, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Feb. 2023
Thanks to the unique design of the new trains, passengers can remain in their comfortable seats throughout the three-and-a-quarter hour trip, immersing themselves in the ever-changing view through enormous panoramic windows.
—Ben Jones, CNN, 9 Dec. 2022
See the 2022 Oscars telecast’s live viewership and ratings broken down by quarter hour below.
—Jennifer Maas, Variety, 29 Mar. 2022
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'quarter hour.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
circa 1597, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Dictionary Entries Near quarter hour
Cite this Entry
“Quarter hour.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quarter%20hour. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
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Kids Definition
quarter hour
noun1
: any of the quarter points of an hour
2
: 15 minutes
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