Quarterfinal

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A stage in a tournament consisting of eight participants that competes for advancement to the semifinals
2. The round preceding the semifinals where four winners are identified from eight competitors
3. A phase in a sports competition that serves as the last eight where participants vie to secure their place in the semifinals

Etymology: "Quarterfinal" is a plain compound: "quarter" joined to "final." The "quarter" here is the sense of a fraction, one of four equal parts, so the term names the stage where a field has been cut down to a quarter of its original size. In a knockout tournament, eight competitors play for four places in the semifinals, and each match in that round removes half the remaining field before the last two stages. The "final" half is the older and more familiar element. It comes from the Latin "finalis," meaning belonging to the end, and in English it has long meant the last contest of a competition. Joining it to "quarter" simply gives a name to the round that comes one step before the semifinal and the final.

Synonyms: semifinal, elimination round, preliminary round, knockout stage, qualifying round