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Fine Dictionary

quartern

WordNet
  1. (n) quartern
    one of four equal parts "a quarter of a pound"
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
  1. Quartern
    A loaf of bread weighing about four pounds; -- called also quartern loaf.
  2. Quartern
    A quarter. Specifically: The fourth part of a pint; a gill. The fourth part of a peck, or of a stone (14 ibs.).
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
  1. (n) quartern
    A fourth part; a quarter.
  2. (n) quartern
    Specifically The fourth part of certain British measures. In liquid measure, the fourth of a pint; an imperial gill.
  3. (n) quartern
    The fourth of a peck, or of a stone.
  4. (n) quartern
    A quarter of a pound.
Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary
  1. Quartern
    the fourth part of a peck, a stone, or a pint: the quarter of a pound
Etymology

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary OE. quarteroun, quartron, F. quarteron, the fourth part of a pound, or of a hundred; cf. L. quartarius, a fourth part, quarter of any measure, quartern, gill. See Quarter, and cf. Quarteron Quadroon

Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary O. Fr.,—L. quartarius—quartus, fourth.

Usage in literature

The bread and cheese amounts to 540 quartern loaves and 470 pounds of cheese. "Anomalies and Curiosities of Medicine" by George M. Gould

In November, 1799, the quartern loaf was sold in London, at 1s. "Showell's Dictionary of Birmingham" by Thomas T. Harman and Walter Showell

On this the sergeant ordered in breakfast for us, in the shape of a half-quartern loaf and two ounces of butter for every four recruits. "Taking Tales" by W.H.G. Kingston

At "Dirty Dick's" you can get a quartern of port for threepence, and gin is practically given away. "Nights in London" by Thomas Burke

Rum, a wineglassful or 0.5 quartern. "Practical Taxidermy" by Montagu Browne

And this yere was first the roial, half roial, and quartern aungel, and aungellet of golde. "A Chronicle of London from 1089 to 1483" by Anonymous

Shop-windows were stoned that night in south and east London; but twenty-four hours later the price of the quartern loaf was 1s. "The Message" by Alec John Dawson

Soak the crumb of a quartern loaf in rather more than two quarts of new milk made hot. "The Cook and Housekeeper's Complete and Universal Dictionary; Including a System of Modern Cookery, in all Its Various Branches," by Mary Eaton

Meanwhile take a quartern of the finest flour, and rub in about an ounce of butter. "The Lady's Own Cookery Book, and New Dinner-Table Directory;" by Charlotte Campbell Bury

I'd give you a half-quartern loaf a day, and Mr George threepence for the present, while it's winter. "Little Meg's Children" by Hesba Stretton

Usage in poetry
When t' quartern loaf were raised to one and four,
We'd watter-brewis, swedes stown out o' t' field;
Farmers were t' landlords' jackals, an' us poor
Tewed in Egyptian bondage unrepealed.
"The Hungry Forties" by F W Moorman