adjective

1. square or nearly square; rectangular
2. Zool. designating a bone or cartilage of the skull in birds, bony fishes, amphibians, and reptiles, to which the lower jaw is joined

Etymology: ME < L quadratus, pp. of quadrare, to make square < quadrus, a square < quattuor, four

noun

1. a square or rectangle
2. a square or rectangular space, thing, etc.
3. Zool. the quadrate bone

Etymology: ME < L quadratum < quadratus

intransitive verb quadrated -·rat′ed, quadrating -·rat′·ing

transitive verb