quadra

¹

[ kwod-ruh ]

noun

, Architecture.

, plural quad·rae [kwod, -ree].

1. a small molding, as a fillet.

quadra-

²

1. variant of quadri-:

   quadraphony.

Word History and Origins

Origin of quadra¹

1655–65; < Latin: fillet, side of a square, quadrant section

Example Sentences

The fish had gotten smaller over the years in the waters around Quadra Island off Canada’s west coast, where Dr. Suzuki has had a cottage for 35 years.

From New York Times

By the 1970s and 1980s, wheelchairs with names like Quadra and Quickie were changing the way users experienced the world around them, giving them unprecedented access indoors and outdoors.

From National Geographic

BC Ferries serves Quadra and Cortes, flights and water taxis reach the outer islands, and Desolation Sound is best accessed from the Sunshine Coast.

From Seattle Times

Preserving the Potlatch A short ferry from Campbell River runs to Quadra Island, landing at Quathiaski Cove, home of the island’s few services.

From Seattle Times

Halfway down Quadra’s eastern shore is Rebecca Spit Marine Provincial Park — great for a long beach walk or a windsurfing adventure.

From Seattle Times

Words That Use Quadra-

What does quadra- mean?

Quadra- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “four.” It is used in some technical and everyday terms.

Quadra- comes from the Latin quattuor, meaning “four.” The Greek equivalent is tetra-, which also appears as tetr-, as in tetrahedron. Want to know more? Check out our Words That Use entries for tetr- and tetra-.

What are variants of quadra-?

Quadra- is a rare variant of quadri-, as in quadripole.

When combined with words or word elements that begin with a vowel, quadra- becomes quadr-, as in quadric.

Before some labial consonants (such as –p– or –f-), quadra- becomes quadru-, as in quadruplex, which uses the Latin equivalent of the form.

Want to learn more? Check out our Words That Use entries for quadr-, quadri-, and quadru-.

Examples of quadra-

One example of a technical term that features the combining form quadra- is quadraphony, “high-fidelity sound reproduction involving signals transmitted through four different channels.”

The first portion of the word, quadra-, means “four,” while -phony means “indicating a specified type of sound,” from Greek -phōnia. Quadraphony literally translates to “four sounds.”

What are some words that use the combining form quadra- (or its Latin equivalent)?

• quadragenarian
• quadragene
• quadragesima
• quadragesimal
• quadraphonic
• quadrasonic

What are some other forms that quadra- may be commonly confused with?

• quasi-
• quinque-

Break it down!

Stereophonic is a system of sound recording or reproduction that uses two channels. With the meaning of quadra- in mind, how many channels does quadraphonic recording use?