quad

See also quad-, and -quad-

English

Wikipedia

Etymology 1

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -ɑːd
• Rhymes: -ɒd

Noun

quad (plural quads)

1. (informal) A quadrangle (courtyard).
2. (informal) A quadruplet (infant).
3. short for quadrilateral
4. (informal) A quadriceps muscle.
5. Four shots of espresso.
6. A quad bike.

Derived terms

• quad bike
• quad strip
• quad ruled
• quaddie

Adjective

quad (not comparable)

1. Having four shots of espresso.
2. (poker slang) Of or relating to quads.

Translations

quadrangle — see quadrangle

quadruplet — see quadruplet

quadrilateral — see quadrilateral

quad bike — see quad bike

See also

• quadr-, quadri-
• quadru-
• quin

Etymology 2

1785 Quads. pl, 1847 quads, verb 1876. From the abbreviation quad., for obsolete quadrat. Keyboard command is named for the verb sense.

Alternative forms

• quad. (obsolete)

Noun

quad (plural quads)

1. (letterpress typography) A blank metal block used to fill short lines of type.
   • 1853, Charles Dickens, “Household Words”, n 160 (April 16), p 148:

      “Quadrats, sir. We call 'em quads.” . . . Quads are the spaces left between the paragraphs that come white on the paper. If you look here, at this page that is set-up, you will see that they are deeper than the spaces left between the words and letters—regular little trenches.

   • 1979, Marshall Lee, Bookmaking, p 110:

     Horizontal spacing is further divided into multiples and fractions of the em. The multiples are called quads. The fractions are called spaces.

   • 2005, Phil Baines and Andrew Haslam, Type & Typography, 2nd ed, p 91:

     Other larger spaces – known as quads – were used to space out lines.

2. (printing slang) A joke used to fill long days of setting type.
3. (typography, phototypesetting and digital typesetting) A keyboard command which aligns text with the left or right margin, or centred between them. In combination, as quad left, quad right, or quad centre.

Synonyms

• em space
• quadrat (obsolete)

Derived terms

• em quad, 2-em quad, 3-em quad
• en quad
• mutton quad
• quad center, quad centre, quad left, quad middle, quad right

Verb

quad (third-person singular simple present quads, present participle quadding, simple past and past participle quadded)

1. (letterpress typography, transitive, intransitive) To fill spaces in a line of type with quads. Also quad out.
2. (typography, phototypesetting and digital typesetting, transitive, intransitive) To align text with the left or right margin, or centre it.

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Dutch

Etymology

From English quad.

Noun

quad m (plural quads, diminutive quadje)

1. quad, quad bike

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Italian

Noun

quad m (invariable)

1. quad bike

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Spanish

Noun

quad f (plural quads)

1. all-terrain vehicle