Middle English Dictionary Entry
quart(e n.
Entry Info
| Forms | quart(e n. Also (NWM) quharte, whart, (errors) quat, qaurte. |
| Etymology | OF carte, quarte quart & cart, quart a fourth. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A liquid measure of capacity, a quart; (b) a dry measure of capacity, a quart; (c) a unit of liquid measure of ten gallons; (d) a quart container; (e) ~ botel (pot), a vessel holding a quart [see also pot n. 3.(b)]; (f) a vessel for measuring a dry measure equivalent to a liquid quart; (g) in surname.
Associated quotations
a
- ?c1350 Why werre (Peterh 104)p.14 : He wil drawe at a drawȝt A gode quart other more Of gode ale.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)7.38 : Oon water vessel heeld fourti mesuris of þre quartis.
- (c1387-95) Chaucer CT.Prol.(Manly-Rickert)A.649 : He wolde suffre for a quart [vr. whart] of wyn A good felawe to haue his concubyn.
- (1402) Will York in Sur.Soc.4297 : Do et lego..unam ollam de argento continentem j quart.
- (1423-4) Doc.Brewer in Bk.Lond.E.180/1236 : Item, for j quart & j pynte of vyneger, j d.
- ?a1425 *MS Htrn.95 (Htrn 95)160b/b : Take swete creme a qwarte.
- (1449) Acc.St.Mary Thame in BBOAJ 873 : For a quart hoyle.
- c1450 Treat.Fish.(Yale 171)153/9 : Ye schall take smal ale þe quantyte of a quarte & put it yn a lytul panne.
- ?c1450 Stockh.PRecipes (Stockh 10.90)108/7 : Sethe it from a potell to a quat [read: quart].
- (1454-5) Doc.in HMC Rep.5 App.491b : In swete wyne for vi quartes, 21 d.
- a1475 Liber Cocorum (Sln 1986)p.26 : Of hony, a qwharte þou take.
- c1484(a1475) Caritate SSecr.(Tak 38)169/25 : Putte hem in a qwarte of vine-egyr.
- a1500 Weights in RHS ser.3.41 (Vsp E.9)15 : The barell..xxxi gallones, 1 quart.
- 1591(?a1425) Chester Pl.(Hnt HM 2)52/231 : For at one draught thou drinke a quarte.
b
- a1525(?1474) Cov.Leet Bk.396 : xij Ounce maketh a Pounde for siluer, golde, bred, & Mesure, wich weyght makith a pynte of Whete, & ij pyntes maketh a quart, & ij quartes maketh a Pottell.
- a1525(?1474) Cov.Leet Bk.397 : He schall haue, of euery buysshell of whete, j quart for the Gryndyng.
c
- c1470(?1458) Wey Prevision (Bod 565)p.5 : Also ye most ordeyne for yowreselfe..iij barellys, eche of a quarte, whyche quarte holdyth x galynnys; too of these barell schal serue for wyne and the therde for water.
d
- ?c1335 Heil seint Michel (Hrl 913)p.157 : Hail be ȝe brewesters wiþ ȝur galuns, Potels, and quartes ouer al þe tounes.
- (1400) Will York in Sur.Soc.4268 : Unum quart et unum pynt de pewter.
- (1438) Doc.in Welch Hist.Pewterers Lond.12 : Also a square Quart weyynge ij lb.dim.; Also a square pinte weinge a lb.dim.
- c1450 Form Excom.(3) (Dc 60)105/32 : We accorsen..al þat falsen or vse false mesoures, busshelles, galones, potelles, quartes.
- (1461) Reg.Chanc.Oxf.in OHS 9466 : ii pewter pottes, a quarte & a pynte.
- a1500 Go ye before (Tit A.26)p.283 : They callyd the tawyrner to fyll the quarte.
- a1525(?1434) Cov.Leet Bk.169 : They orden..þat they Galon, pottell, and quart be made acordant to the stondart.
- -?-(1411) Will in Som.RS 1653 : [One silver jug called] Quarte.
e
- (1383) Inquis.Miscel.(PRO)4.128 : [6] quartpottes.
- (1392) Will York in Sur.Soc.4183 : Lego..unum potelpot et unum quartpott.
- (1420-21) in Gras Eng.Cust.Syst.505 : Pro iii pipis cum xx quartpotts.
- (1444) Will York in Sur.Soc.30112 : I wil she have a potel pot and a quart pot of silver playn.
- (1454) Paston2.104 : Memorandum, to sende hom wyn and ij quart botelys.
- (1459) Invent.Fastolf(1) in Paston Letters (Add Charter 17247:Gairdner)3.168 : Item, ij quart potts with gilt verges.
- (1463) Will Bury in Camd.4923 : A potel pot and a quart pot of pewter.
f
- (1455) GRed Bk.Bristolpt.2.p.51 : The Corne Busshell. The feryng and the sealyng..j d. The Pecke..ob..The Potell, ob. The quarte, ob.
- a1525(?1467) Cov.Leet Bk.334 : They have ordyned that the wardens shall make a stryke, halfe stryke..potell & quarte, the mesurs to be selyd & delyueryd to the sellers of oton-meele.
g
- (1327) in Ewen Surnames Brit.325 : J.Quartale.
2.
(a) A fourth part of something; (b) one of four equal parts of a unit of measure specified in the context; (c) a quarter of a pound; (d) a quarter of a hundredweight; (e) ~ of houre, a quarter of an hour, fifteen minutes; (f) ~ dai = quartere-day [see quartere n. 2.(b)].
Associated quotations
a
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)101a : A Qwarte [Monson: a Quarter]: scilicet pars quarta cuiuslibet rei; quadra; quarta.
b
- (a1399) Oath Bk.Colchester7 : Un bale Wod, fretted, ij d., and j quart, 1/2 d.
- (a1399) Oath Bk.Colchester8 : Whyt salt, gret salt, par weye, ij d.; and j quart, ob.
c
- (c1410) York MGame (Vsp B.12)50 : First take ye vi pounde of hony and a quart [vr. quartron; F quart] of vertegrece.
- ?a1425 *MS Htrn.95 (Htrn 95)187b/a : Take a li.virgyne wexe, schepis talwe a quarte.
d
- (a1399) Oath Bk.Colchester8 : Par xij quart ston, j d.
e
- (c1454) Paston (EETS)1.77 : iij of the sayd riottys feloshipp..faght wyth hym be the space of on qaurte [read: quarte] of an houre.
f
- (1431) Grocer Lond.(Kingdon)204 : Also, payed For dyvers dyners and potacions made To þe Felloschyppe at dyvers Tymes, as welle at þe audyt and quarte dayes as To dyvers maysterz off owrys.
3.
Astron. and geom. The sixtieth part of a tierce, which equals the sixtieth part of a second of arc; one thirty-six hundredth part of a second of arc.
Associated quotations
- a1450(?c1421) Lydg.ST (Arun 119)376 : Trewly sought out be mynut and degre The silf houre of his natyvyte, Not forȝete the heuenly mansiouns Clerly Cerched be smale fracciouns, First be Secoundes, tiers, and eke quartes.