quarto

noun

quar·​to ˈkwȯr-(ˌ)tō 

plural quartos

1

: the size of a piece of paper cut four from a sheet

also : paper or a page of this size

2

: a book printed on quarto pages

Examples of quarto in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

It was first published in a corrupt quarto in 1594. — Gitanjali Roy, Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Apr. 2026

The poem was published in Shakespeare’s 1609 quarto of 154 sonnets, which wasn’t widely popular in its day. — Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Mar. 2025

The others, often differing in numerous details, first appeared in the 1590s and early 1600s as cheap pamphlets called quartos. — Michael Dirda, Washington Post, 21 Apr. 2023

The chapter on beef, pork and lamb dishes focuses on affordable cuts of meat and includes a little history lesson about the quinto quarto. — oregonlive, 21 Apr. 2023

In the twelve untitled poems that ran on quarto-size pages, scattered with varied-length ellipses, his long lines expand and contract between the margins like the steady crash of waves. — Jeffrey Yang, The New Yorker, 22 Mar. 2017

Word History

Etymology

Latin, ablative of quartus fourth

First Known Use

1580, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

quarto

noun

quar·​to ˈkwȯrt-ō 

plural quartos

: a book made up of sheets of paper that have been folded into four leaves