one of four equal groups into which a set of things can be divided according to the distribution of a particular variable 四分位数;四分位值 women in the fourth quartile of height (= the shortest 25% of women) 身高在第四个四分位值的妇女(即最矮的 25% 妇女)
Word Originlate 19th cent.: from medieval Latin quartilis, from Latin quartus ‘fourth’.