n. 1. A square dance in 6/8 or 2/4 time of French origin, composed of five sections and performed by four couples. 2. The music for this dance. [French, from quadrille, team, crew, one of four groups of horsemen, from Spanish cuadrilla, probably diminutive of cuadro, square, from Latin quadrum; see kwetwer- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
n. A card game popular during the 1700s, played by four people with a deck of 40 cards. [French, perhaps from Spanish cuartillo, diminutive of cuarto, fourth, from Latin quārtus; see kwetwer- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.