Phrase guide
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
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No pronunciation record was provided for this word.
noun
A quad which has a fixed width of 1 em.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: media, publishing, typography
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
a quad with a square body
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Synonyms: em, mutton quad
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: area unit, square measure
History
Attested in 1841. From 1808 em quadrat, from 1683 m quadrat, from m + quadrat, a metal type, which is as wide as the point size of the font. The origin of the letter m is unclear; perhaps because the type body of the letter M was approximately square during the early days of typesetting, and to contrast it with the n quadrat, the letter n being approximately half as wide.
