sb. and a. Obs. [ad. It. squadrante, pres. pple. of squadrare to square.]
A. sb. 1. A square piece of something; a side of a square. Cf. QUADRANT sb.2 2 and 2 b.
1595. Locrine, II. v. 5. How brauely this yoong Brittain…, Mouing the massie squadrants of the ground, Heapes hills on hills.
1599. A. M., trans. Gabelhouer’s Bk. Physicke, 128/2. Put all this together in a little bagge, a qu. of an Elle in his squadrant.
2. A squadron of soldiers or ships.
1614. Sir R. Dudley, in Fortescue Papers (Camden), 11. His Majesty maye make as manye of these as he please for his safetye and strenthe, but lesse then 6 were no fitt squadrant.
B. adj. Of a square form.
1599. A. M., trans. Gabelhouer’s Bk. Physicke, 310/2. Applye … theron a squadrante boulster moystened in wine.
1642. Bird, Mag. Hon., 136. A List shall be made in an even and plain ground, then Squadrant, that is to say, every Square 60 foot East, West, North, and South.
