# Definition:Avoirdupois/Quarter

## Definition

The quarter is an avoirdupois unit of mass.

$1$ quarter $= 2$ stone $= 28$ pounds avoirdupois $\approx 12 \cdotp 7$ kilograms.

### Symbol

The symbol for the quarter is $\text{qtr}$.

## Historical Note

The word quarter was in common use (and probably still is) in the domestic context, in societies using imperial measurements of mass, to mean a quarter of a pound, that is, $4$ ounces.

This particularly applies to old-fashioned retailers of confectionery to children.

It should be clear from the context whether a quarter of a pound or a quarter of a hundredweight is under discussion.

## Linguistic Note on Quarter

The word quarter in the context of the imperial systems of measurement of mass derives directly from its definition as $\dfrac 1 4$ (a quarter) of a hundredweight.

## Linguistic Note on Avoirdupois

The word avoirdupois derives from the Norman French word whose literal translation is goods (that is property, or things owned) of weight.

The avoir part also means to have in modern French, and derives from the Latin habere.

It is pronounced something like av-wah-doo-pwah, although Francophones will be aware that there are further subtleties to this.