quarter (US) [qr (US)] Unit Converter

Definition of quarter (US) [qr (US)] unit

The US quarter is a customary unit of weight equal to 25 pounds, or approximately 11.34 kilograms. It represents one-quarter of a short hundredweight (100 pounds) and differs from the British imperial quarter, which equals 28 pounds.

History of quarter (US) [qr (US)] unit

The quarter originated in medieval English trade as a practical division of a hundredweight, a standard bundle of goods whose size varied by commodity and locality. In England, the quarter eventually became fixed at 28 pounds within the long-hundredweight system of 112 pounds. After American customary measures developed from English practice, the United States adopted a shorter hundredweight of 100 pounds, making its quarter 25 pounds. Although less common today, the US quarter appeared historically in agricultural, livestock, and commodity transactions, where standardized bulk weights were especially useful.

Applications of quarter (US) [qr (US)] unit

Today, the US quarter is chiefly encountered in historical references, agricultural records, older trade documents, and conversion tables for customary weights. It may describe quantities of grain, produce, meat, or other bulk commodities, although pounds and tons are more usual in the United States. In modern technical and commercial contexts, the unit is converted to 25 pounds or 11.34 kilograms.

Complete list of quarter (US) [qr (US)] unit conversion