|
| quad·rant [ kwóddrənt ] (plural quad·rants) |
noun |
|
| Definition: |
| |
1. mathematics quarter of circumference of circle: a 90º arc representing one fourth of the circumference of a circle
|
2. mathematics quarter of area of circle: the area bounded by a quadrant and the two perpendicular lines that connect it to the center of the circle
|
3. mathematics quarter of plane surface: any one of the four sections into which the perpendicular axes of a coordinate system divide a two-dimensional surface
|
4. mathematics quarter of area or surface: any one of the four approximately equal parts into which an area or a surface is divided by two real or imaginary perpendicular lines
|
5. astronomy device for measuring angle of star: an instrument with a movable sighting mechanism attached to a 90-degree arc, formerly used in astronomy and navigation to measure the angles and altitudes of stars
|
6. mechanical engineering device shaped like quarter circle: a mechanical device or machine part in the shape of a quarter of a circle
|
| [14th century. < Latin quadrant-, stem of quadrans "fourth part, quarter"] |
