quadrat

Meaning

Noun

• An area of land, marked for studying its plants, animals, soil, natural processes, etc.
• A quad; a blank metal block used to fill space in lines of type.
• A virtual rectangular subdivision of a line or column of hieroglyphs within which a group of hieroglyphs is arranged.

Related

Similar words

• quad
• space

Origin

• Borrowed from Latin quadrātum.
• 1683. Probably from French cadrat or Italian quadrato ("square"), originally from Latin quadrātum ("square"). So called because the basic quadrat, the em quadrat, has a square face, having the same width as the height of a line of type.