quadrille

Etymology 1

French, in sense of “group of knights”, from Spanish cuadrilla, diminutive of cuadra (“square”) (compare also cuadra (“four”)), from Latin quadra.

noun

1. A dance originating in the mid-1700s with four couples forming a square, rather much like the modern square dance.
   The movements of the other women were more or less similar to Tess's, the whole bevy of them drawing together like dancers in a quadrille at the completion of a sheaf by each, every one placing her sheaf on end against those of the rest, till a shock, or 'stitch' as it was here called, of ten or a dozen was formed. 1891, Thomas Hardy, Tess of the d'Urbervilles, part 2
2. The music for this dance.
   c. 19th century, J. M. Crofts (attributed), "The Irish Rover" There was ol' Mickey Coote Who played hard on his flute When the ladies lined up for a set He was tootin' with skill For each sparkling quadrille Though the dancers were fluther'd and bet
3. (card games) A Spanish trick-taking card game from the 1700s played with a 40-card deck.
   It now first struck her that she was selected from among her sisters as worthy of being the mistress of Hunsford Parsonage, and of assisting to form a quadrille table at Rosings, in the absence of more eligible visitors. 1812, Jane Austen, chapter 17, in Pride and Prejudice
4. A choreographed dressage ride, commonly performed to music, with a minimum of four horses.

verb

1. (intransitive) To dance the quadrille.
   We quadrilled, waltzed, and conversed, in all of which my clever partner excelled; and her charms, combined with the excellent champagne I imbibed, fairly dazzled my imagination. 1834, Arthur Courtenay, Autobiography and Letters of Arthur Courtenay, page 36

Etymology 2

From French quadrillé.

noun

1. Quadrille ruled graph paper, quad paper.

Etymology 3

Term used by John Horton Conway.

noun

1. A square tiling of the plane.