(14c.), from Old Provençal or Italianpoppa, from Latinpuppis"poop, stern," a word of uncertain origin. Also "a deck above the ordinary deck on the aftermost part of a ship." As a verb, "to break heavily over the stern of a ship" (of waves, etc.).Poop deckis attested by ...
Deck-chair(1844) so called because they were used on ocean liners.On deck(by 1740) was in nautical use especially "ready for action or duty;" extended sense in baseball, of a batter waiting a turn at the plate, is by 1867. Toclear the deck(1852) is to prepare a ship for action;...
1620s, "the part of the spar-deck of a man-of-war between the poop and the main-mast," originally "a smaller deck above the half-deck," covering about a quarter of the vessel [OED], from quarter (n.1). "It is used as a promenade by the officers only" [Century Dictionary], ...
(W. Saxon) "side, part," not necessarily of equal division (original sense preserved in behalf), from Proto-Germanic *halba- "something divided" (source also of Old Saxon halba, Old Norse halfr, Old Frisian, Middle Dutch half, German halb, Gothic halbs "half"), a word of no ...
quarter-deck(n.) 1620s, "the part of the spar-deck of a man-of-war between the poop and the main-mast," originally "a smaller deck above the half-deck," covering about a quarter of the vessel [OED], fromquarter(n.1). "It is used as a promenade by the officers only" [Century...
Entries linking to man-of-war man (n.) "a featherless plantigrade biped mammal of the genus Homo" [Century Dictionary], Old English man, mann "human being, person (male or female); brave man, hero;" also "servant, vassal, adult male considered as under the control of another person,...
Meaning "region, locality, area, place" is from c. 1400. Meaning "distinct portion of a town" (identified by the class or race of people who live there) is first attested 1520s. For military sense, seequarters. The coin (one fourth of a dollar, originally silver) is peculiar to U....
Quarter in the sense "period of three months; one of the four divisions of a year" is recorded from late 14c. Related: Quarter days.Related entries & more Advertisementquarter-deck (n.) 1620s, "the part of the spar-deck of a man-of-war between the poop and the main-mast," ...