quaternary

See also: Quaternary

English

WOTD – 7 April 2006
English numbers (edit)
 ←  3 4 5  → [a], [b]
    Cardinal: four
    Ordinal: fourth
    Abbreviated ordinal: 4th
    Latinate ordinal: quartary, quaternary
    Latinate reverse order ordinal: preantepenultimate
    Adverbial: four times
    Multiplier: fourfold
    Latinate multiplier: quadruple
    Distributive: quadruply
    Germanic collective: foursome
    Collective of n parts: quadruplet
    Greek or Latinate collective: tetrad
    Greek collective prefix: tetra-, tessera-
    Latinate collective prefix: quadri-
    Fractional: quarter, fourth
    Elemental: quadruplet
    Greek prefix: tetarto-
    Number of musicians: quartet
    Number of years: quadrennium, olympiad

Etymology

Derived from Latin quaternārius (“containing or consisting of four”), from quaternī (“four each”, “four at a time”) + -ārius (whence the English suffix -ary); compare the French quaternaire.

Pronunciation

  • (UK) IPA(key): /kwəˈtɜː.nə.ɹi/, (rare) /ˈkwɔːt.ən.(ə.)ɹi/
  • IPA(key): (US) /ˈkwɑ.tɚˌnɛɹ.i/, /ˈkwɑ.tɚˌnɛə.ɹi/
    • Audio (US):(file)
  • Audio (General Australian):(file)

Adjective

quaternary (not comparable)

  1. Of fourth rank or order.
    the quaternary stress in a pronounced word
  2. Of a mathematical expression containing e.g. x4.
  3. Relating to or in number base four.
  4. (Can we verify(+) this sense?) (organic chemistry) quaternary ammonium.
  5. (inorganic chemistry) Composed of four elements.

Usage notes

The fourth ordinal from Latin that might etymologically follow tertiary is quartary, but quaternary (from the distributive number instead) is more usual in English.

Synonyms

Derived terms

Translations

See also

Noun

quaternary (plural quaternaries)

  1. (chemistry) A quaternary compound.
  2. (geology) The Quaternary period or the system of deposits laid down during it.
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