: a type-metal space that is one en or more in width
quadded; quadding
: to fill out (something, such as a typeset line) with blank space
plural quads
1
2
: a ski lift that holds four people
3
: a jump (as in figure skating or skiing) that consists of at least four but less than five revolutions
Last month Leaver announced that Boitano would not try the jump for which he is best known, the quadruple toe loop, at the Olympics. Never performed successfully in competition, the quad has become the slippery grail of skating.—
Jill Smolowe
Jill Smolowe4
or less commonly quad bike
: a four-wheeled all-terrain vehicle
1
: having or composed of four items or elements : quadruple sense 1
The F/A-18 flight-control system … is characterized by quad redundancy, which means that there are essentially four levels of sensing and actuation for each control surface.—McGraw-Hill Yearbook Of Science And Technology
McGraw-Hill Yearbook Of Science And TechnologyQuad skates are roller skates that have four wheels arranged in two rows, while inline skates have them in one line.—Jenee Osterheldt
Jenee Osterheldt2
: quadraphonic
Domestic quad listening needs two additional loudspeakers over stereo, and two more amplifiers, plus the black box which allocates some of the sounds to the rear left/right, and others to the front left/right.—George Steedman
George Steedman
: quadraphonic sound
: a unit of energy equal to one quadrillion British thermal units
plural quads
informal
: the greater extensor muscle of the front of the thigh that is divided into four parts : quadriceps
—usually plural
"Usually after a heptathlon I can tell if I'm not going to do well jumping. My quads get tired."—Jackie Joyner-Kersee
Jackie Joyner-KerseeDick Williams, Seattle manager, on shortstop Spike Owen's injured quads: "I never had any quads when I played."—Sports Illustrated
Sports IllustratedSynonyms
Examples of quad in a Sentence
Noun (1)
the quad was the college's time-honored site for protests and celebrations
Recent Examples on the Web
Alyssa Ages, Outside Online, 18 Nov. 2024
Last, the oil and gas industry is not worsening the killer quad of weather extremes, even though the companies now produce around 50% of global GHG emissions.
—Ian Dexter Palmer, Forbes, 15 Oct. 2024
Drew Zieff, Outside Online, 15 Oct. 2024
Keep your core, butt, and quads tight, and avoid arching your back.
—Carolyn L. Todd, SELF, 4 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for quad 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
Cool Down: End with five minutes of walking, without the pack, and stretch out your calves, quads, and hips.
—Alyssa Ages, Outside Online, 18 Nov. 2024
Last, the oil and gas industry is not worsening the killer quad of weather extremes, even though the companies now produce around 50% of global GHG emissions.
—Ian Dexter Palmer, Forbes, 15 Oct. 2024
Verb
Our splitboard crew embarked on mini-epics in these out-of-bounds zones, grateful to the Crystal Express quad for the boost before resorting to skintracks and bootpacks.
—Drew Zieff, Outside Online, 15 Oct. 2024
Keep your core, butt, and quads tight, and avoid arching your back.
—Carolyn L. Todd, SELF, 4 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for quad
Dictionary Entries Near quad
Cite this Entry
“Quad.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quad. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
quad
noun
: quadriceps
—usually used in plural
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share