WordGarden.iohindquarter
C2Pronunciation
UK
US
- /ˈhaɪndˌkɔrtər/
Meanings
Noun
the rear quarter or back part of an animal
a cut of meat from the rear quarter of an animal
Beyond the definition
Picture a horse running across a field. The hindquarter is its rear part: the rump, the back legs, and the strong muscles that help it move. The word is used mainly for four-legged animals, especially farm animals such as horses and cattle.
The word also has a butcher's meaning. A hindquarter is one of the rear sections of an animal's carcass, the part that gives cuts such as sirloin, round, and rump. In everyday English, this meaning is much more common than any loose or figurative use.
The word "hindquarter" refers to the rear part of a four-legged animal, especially one such as a horse, cow, sheep, or pig. In this sense, it includes the rump, the hind legs, and the large muscles in that area. If you imagine an animal pushing off the ground to run or jump, this is the part doing much of the work. That is why the word often suggests strength and movement.
The term is also common in butchery and cooking. A hindquarter is one of the rear quarters of a dressed carcass. This section yields well-known cuts, including parts of the loin, sirloin, round, and rump. Because of this, the word often appears in farming, meat processing, and food contexts, not just in discussions of animal anatomy.
The singular form, "hindquarter," usually names one rear section, while the plural, "hindquarters," often refers to the animal's rear end as a whole. The word is mostly used literally rather than figuratively. So whether someone is talking about a living animal or a section of meat, "hindquarter" points to the back part of the body or carcass.
Examples
- 1
Animal injury
The horse injured its left hindquarter while jumping the fence.
- Usage
hindquarter/hindquarters is more common with large animals, especially in farming, hunting, or veterinary contexts
- 2
Butchery
The butcher separated the forequarters from the hindquarters before cutting the meat.
- 3
Physical weakness
After the accident, the dog was still weak in his hindquarters.
- Patternbe weak in the hindquarters
have weakness in the back legs and rear part of the body
See also
Similar
- rear quarter
- haunch
Shades of meaning
Contrast
- forequarter
Used with (collocations)
- beef hindquarter
- lamb hindquarter
- hindquarter cut
Word family
Explore
- carcass quarter
- primal cut
Forms and spellings
2 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- hindquarternoun
Forms
- hindquarterspluralnoun