(Also with hyphen.) [See QUARTER sb. 15.]
1. The place of stay, or lodgings, occupied by troops, or by the members of an expedition, during the winter (between two campaigns or periods of activity or travel).
[1641. Evelyn, Diary, 8 Sept. Seedam, where was at that time Coll. Goring’s winter-quarters.]
1650. R. Stapylton, Strada’s Low C. Wars, VIII. 8. The like … was done … by the Nervians, when they besieged the winter-quarters of Quintus Cicero.
1769. Lond. Chron., 9–11 Nov., 456/1. According to advices from the Russian Army … it will soon go into winter quarters in the centre of the kingdom.
1777. R. Watson, Philip II. (1839), 423. His troops were no sooner distributed into winter-quarters, than Leicester returned with his army towards Zutphen.
1867. Smyth, Sailor’s Word-bk., Winter-quarters,… in Arctic parlance, the spot where ships are to remain housed during the winter months—from the 1st October to the 1st July or August.
1873. A. H. Markham, Gt. Frozen Sea, xiii. 154. Altogether the neighbourhood of our winter quarters had the appearance of a young thriving settlement.
† b. transf. The interval of time during which troops are in winter quarters. Obs.
1706. Phillips, s.v. Quarters, Winter-Quarters,… the Space of Time between two Campaigns.
1734. trans. Rollin’s Rom. Hist., III. 402. Which he divides into campaigns and winter-quarters.
1797. Encycl. Brit. (ed. 3), XV. 751.
2. The place in which certain animals find shelter during the winter. (Rarely of plants.)
1697. Dryden, Virg. Georg., IV. 357. Lazy Drones,… In Winter Quarters free, devour the Gain.
1709. T. Robinson, Vind. Mosaick Syst., 89. I saw infinite Numbers of Frogs coming out of their Winter-Quarters, which was a vast heap of loose Stones.
1856. Delamer, Fl. Gard. (1861), 165. Remove dahlia-roots from their winter quarters.
1890. J. R. B. Masefield, in Science-Gossip, XXVI. 34/1. A frost of several days’ duration … sent most of these snails into winter-quarters.
Hence Winter-quarter v., intr. to go into or reside in winter quarters. rare.
1706. Luttrell, Brief Rel. (1857), VI. 90. 25 000 of the allies are to winter quarter in Brabant.
