1 Ecologyeach of a number of small areas of habitat, typically of one square metre, selected at random to act as samples for assessing the local distribution of plants or animals.
▪a portable frame, typically with an internal grid, used to mark out a quadrat.
2 Printing(in letterpress printing) a small block of metal, lower than the face of the type, inserted to fill up short lines or adjust spacing.
– ORIGIN late Middle English (in sense ‘instrument for measuring altitude or distance’): from Latinquadratumquadrate.
EnglishOxford Dictionary of English
