quartz

n 1: colorless glass made of almost pure silica [syn: {quartz

glass}, {vitreous silica}, {lechatelierite}, {crystal}]

2: a hard glossy mineral consisting of silicon dioxide in

crystal form; present in most rocks (especially sandstone

and granite); yellow sand is quartz with iron oxide

impurities

quarter

Two bits. This in turn comes from the "pieces of eight" famed

in pirate movies - Spanish silver crowns that could be broken

into eight pie-slice-shaped "bits" to make change. Early in

American history the Spanish coin was considered equal to a

dollar, so each of these "bits" was considered worth 12.5

cents. Usage: rare.

Synonyms: {tayste}, {crumb}, {quad}.

See also {nickle}, {nibble}, {byte}, {dynner}.

[{Jargon File}]

(1995-01-25)