Quadrangles

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A geometric shape with four straight sides and four angles ; an open rectangular space typically enclosed by buildings on all sides, often found in schools or colleges
2. A flat figure having four edges and vertices ; a four-cornered courtyard or plaza surrounded by structures
3. A polygon characterized by four connected sides and angles ; a quadrilateral open area enclosed by buildings, especially in educational campuses

Etymology: "Quadrangles" is the plural of "quadrangle", a noun for a four-sided flat shape. The singular passed into English from Old French, which had taken it from the Late Latin "quadrangulum", a formation meaning a four-cornered figure. Its Latin roots are simple: "quadr-" comes from "quattuor", meaning four, and "angulus", meaning angle or corner, so the word is literally a shape with four angles. The same pattern gives English several related words. A "quadrant" and a "quadruped" share the four-based beginning, and "quadrangle" was also used in English for an enclosed courtyard surrounded by buildings, since such a courtyard tends to be laid out as a square or rectangle. That architectural sense is the one many readers meet in university campuses.

Synonyms: courtyards, enclosures, compounds, squares, plazas