quadran

English

Etymology 1

Alteration of quadrant.

Noun

quadran (plural quadrans)

1. (obsolete) A square, a quadrangle.
   • 1578, Thomas Nicholas, Lopez de Gómara, The pleasant historie of the conquest of the Weast India, now called new Spayne:

     This temple is square, & doth containe euery way as much ground as a crossebow can reach leuell... In the middest of this Quadern standeth a mount of earth and stone.

   • 1620, Story of the Unfaithful Lover:

     And hee (the Magician) seeing the great disloyalty of him (Lusindo), determined before hee did die to bee reuenged of that injury, and likewise of me, in such sort, that in time ther might be some remedy, & so by his great knowledge he brought the prince hether vnto his habitation, andd put him into a quadran full of fire, whereas he is continually burning, and without ceasing he crieth out & giueth terrible shrikes, & cannot come foorth of that quadran.

   • 1863, Robert Davies, The Life of Marmaduke Rawdon of York, page xxxviii:

     on the side next the markett stands the head or effigie of Mr. Rawdon the donor, with an inscription showing the same, in the centre of which roofe rises a turret ocata-angular, finished on each angle with pillasters which revolves into scrowles, on which is 4 quadrans or or sun dyalls, lanskipt with several inscriptions; (i.e.) on the east quadran EHEU FUGACES, on the south quadran DUM SPECTUS FUGIO, on the west quadran FUGIT HORA ORA, on the north quadran TEMPUS EDAX RERUM.

Etymology 2

Back-formation from quadrans.

Noun

quadran (plural quadrans)

1. Alternative form of quadrans (“Roman coin”)
   • 1997, Watchman Nee, Confession and Recompense, page 11:

     Truly I say to you, You shall by no means come out from there until you pay the last quadrans.

   • 2006, Richard Leonard, Preaching to the Converted, page 227:

     He tells us that the widow gave “two small copper coins,” or a quadran, adding up to one penny. A quadran was about 1/64 of a denarius, which was a worker's daily wage.

   • 2014, Marilyn Todd, I, Claudia:

     A quadran's not enough, she was saying, I need two thousand sesterces.

Etymology 3

Noun

quadran (plural quadrans)

1. Obsolete form of quatrain.
   • 1718, Edward Bysshe, The Art Of English Poetry, page 29:

     Where the four first Verses are only a Quadran, and consist of 10 Syllables each in Alternate Rhyme

   • 1770, The critical review, or annals of literature - Volume 30, page 58:

     The quadran, the rondeau, the triolet, lays, virelays, the chant royal, masquerades, amphigouries, quolibets, romances, concordants, as they are in use amongst the French and Germins, are altogether uninteresting to an English reader.

   • 1877, Tom Hood, Practical Guide to English Versification, page 230:

     Where the four first verses are only a quadran, and consist of ten syllables, each in alternate rhyme.