quarter day

quarter day
noun
a Christian holy day; one of four specified days when certain payments are due
• Hypernyms: ↑Christian holy day
• Hyponyms:

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noun
Etymology: Middle English, from quarter (I) + day
: the day beginning a quarter of the year and often used as the date when a quarterly payment (as rent) falls due

every quarter day Madame wept before the landlord — Philip O'Connor

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1. (in England, Ireland, and Wales) one of the four days, Lady Day, Midsummer Day, Michaelmas, or Christmas, regarded as marking off the quarters of the year, on which quarterly payments are due, tenancies begin and end, etc.
2. (in Scotland) one of the four days, Candlemas, Whitsunday, Lammas, or Martinmas, regarded as marking off the quarters of the year.
[1470-80]

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quarter day noun
The day on each of the year's quarters on which rent or interest is due to be paid
• • •
Main Entry: ↑quarter

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quarter day UK US noun [countable] [singular quarter day plural quarter days]
in the UK, one of four days in the year when some official payments are made
Thesaurus: miscellaneous special dayshyponym

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quarter day,
a day beginning or ending a quarter of the year, especially for dating rents, salaries, or other arrangements. In England, the quarter days are March 25 (Lady Day), June 24 (Midsummer Day), September 29 (Michaelmas), and December 25 (Christmas).

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ˈquarter day [quarter day quarter days] noun (BrE, technical)
the first day of a ↑quarter (= a period of three months) on which payments must be made, for example at the ↑stock exchange
 
Culture:
quarter days
In Britain, since the Middle Ages quarter days have marked the beginning of each new quarter (= period of three months) of the year. (There are no quarter days in the US.) Rent and interest payments are often made on quarter days, and many contracts, especially concerning property, begin or end then. In former times quarter days were often celebrated with big ↑fairs. Agricultural workers and servants who wanted to change their jobs went to the fair to try to find a new employer.
The names of quarter days are taken from the calendar of the ↑medieval Church. In England and Wales the quarter days are: 25 March (Lady Day, marking the feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary), 24 June (Midsummer Day or St John the Baptist’s Day), 29 September (Michaelmas Day or St Michael and All Angels’ Day) and 25 December (Christmas Day).
In Scotland quarter days are known as term days. They formerly followed the Christian calendar and were: 2 February (Candlemas), 15 May ( ↑Whit), 1 August (Lammas Day) and 11 November (Martinmas). Since 1991 the dates have been changed, although the traditional names have been kept. The dates are now 28 February, 28 May, 28 August and 28 November.

Useful english dictionary. 2012.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Quarter day — Quarter Quar ter (kw[aum]r t[ e]r), n. [F. quartier, L. quartarius a fourth part, fr. quartus the fourth. See {Quart}.] 1. One of four equal parts into which anything is divided, or is regarded as divided; a fourth part or portion; as, a quarter… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • quarter day — ˈquarter day noun [countable] FINANCE ACCOUNTING a day that officially begins a three month period of the year, and on which payments are made: • Rent is payable in advance on the usual quarter days. * * * quarter day UK US noun [C] UK ► …   Financial and business terms

  • quarter day — any of four days in the year when certain payments become due. In England, they are Lady Day (25 March), Midsummer Day (24 June), Michaelmas Day (29 September) and Christmas Day (25 December). For Scotland the days are Candlemas (28 February),… …   Law dictionary

  • quarter day — n. any of the four days regarded as beginning a new quarter of the year, when quarterly payments on rents, etc. are due …   English World dictionary

  • quarter day — n technical BrE a day which officially begins a three month period of the year, and on which payments are made, for example at the ↑stock exchange …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • quarter day — quarter ,day noun count in the U.K., one of four days in the year when some official payments are made …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • quarter day — ► NOUN Brit. ▪ each of four days in the year on which some tenancies begin and end and quarterly payments fall due …   English terms dictionary

  • quarter day — UK / US noun [countable] Word forms quarter day : singular quarter day plural quarter days in the UK, one of four days in the year when some official payments are made …   English dictionary

  • quarter-day — noun Each of the four days customarily regarded as starting a new quarter year, on which rents etc are often due. , 1908, It is late in March, so quarter day is at hand. Arthur Conan Doyle, ‘The Adventure of Wisteria Lodge’ (Norton 2005, p. 1239) …   Wiktionary

  • quarter day — / kwɔ:tə deɪ/ noun a day at the end of a quarter, when rents, fees etc. should be paid COMMENT: In England, the quarter days are 25th March (Lady Day), 24th June (Midsummer Day), 29th September (Michaelmas Day) and 25th December (Christmas Day) …   Dictionary of banking and finance

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