The quart (symbol: qt) is a
unit of volume equal to a quarter of a
gallon. Three kinds of quarts are currently used: the liquid quart and dry quart of the
US customary system and the of the
British imperial system
The imperial system of units, imperial system or imperial units (also known as British Imperial or Exchequer Standards of 1826) is the system of units first defined in the British Weights and Measures Act 1824 and continued to be developed thro ...
. All are roughly equal to one
liter
The litre (international spelling) or liter (American English spelling) (SI symbols L and l, other symbol used: ℓ) is a metric unit of volume. It is equal to 1 cubic decimetre (dm3), 1000 cubic centimetres (cm3) or 0.001 cubic metre (m3). ...
. It is divided into two
pints or (in the US) four
cup
A cup is an open-top used to hold hot or cold liquids for pouring or drinking; while mainly used for drinking, it also can be used to store solids for pouring (e.g., sugar, flour, grains, salt). Cups may be made of glass, metal, china, clay, ...
s. Historically, the exact size of the quart has varied with the different values of gallons over time and in reference to different commodities.
Name
The term comes from the
Latin (meaning one-quarter) via the
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
. However, although the French word has the same root, it frequently means something entirely different. In
Canadian French
Canadian French (french: français canadien) is the French language as it is spoken in Canada. It includes Varieties of French#Canada, multiple varieties, the most prominent of which is Quebec French, Québécois (Quebec French). Formerly ''Can ...
in particular, the quart is called ,
whilst the
pint is called .
History
Since gallons of various sizes have historically been in use, the corresponding quarts have also existed with various sizes.
Definitions and equivalencies
US liquid quart
In the United States, traditional length and volume measures have been legally standardized for commerce by the
international yard and pound agreement of 1959, using the definition of 1 yard being exactly equal to 0.9144
meters. From this definition is derived the metric equivalencies for inches, feet, and miles, area measures, and measures of volume. The US liquid quart equals 57.75
cubic inches, which is exactly equal to .
["Authorized tables"](_blank)
, United States Code
In the law of the United States, the Code of Laws of the United States of America (variously abbreviated to Code of Laws of the United States, United States Code, U.S. Code, U.S.C., or USC) is the official compilation and codification of the ...
, Title 15, ch. 6, subchapter I, sec. 205, accessed 19 July 2008.
US dry quart
In the United States, the
dry
Dry or dryness most often refers to:
* Lack of rainfall, which may refer to
** Arid regions
** Drought
* Dry or dry area, relating to legal prohibition of selling, serving, or imbibing alcoholic beverages
* Dry humor, deadpan
* Dryness (medica ...
quart is equal to one quarter of a US dry gallon, or exactly .
Imperial quart
The imperial quart, which is used for both liquid and dry capacity, is equal to one quarter of an imperial gallon, or exactly 1.1365225 liters. In the United Kingdom goods may be sold by the quart if the equivalent metric measure is also given.
In
Canadian French
Canadian French (french: français canadien) is the French language as it is spoken in Canada. It includes Varieties of French#Canada, multiple varieties, the most prominent of which is Quebec French, Québécois (Quebec French). Formerly ''Can ...
, by federal law, the imperial quart is called .
Winchester quart
The Winchester quart is an
archaic measure, roughly equal to 2 imperial quarts or 2.25 liters. The 2.5L bottles in which laboratory chemicals are supplied are sometimes referred to as
Winchester quart bottles, although they contain slightly more than a traditional Winchester quart.
Reputed quart
The reputed quart was a measure equal to two-thirds of an imperial quart (or one-sixth of an imperial gallon), at about 0.7577liters, which is very close to one
US fifth (0.757 liters).
The reputed quart was previously recognized as a standard size of wine bottle in the United Kingdom, and is only about 1% larger than the current standard wine bottle of 0.75L.
Notes
References
External links
*
*
{{United States Customary Units
Alcohol measurement
Cooking weights and measures
Customary units of measurement in the United States
Imperial units
Units of volume