Meanings
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA quad which has a fixed width of 1 em.
More synonyms by meaning
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Attested in 1841. From 1808 em quadrat, from 1683 m quadrat, from m + quadrat, a metal type, which is as wide as the point size of the font. The origin of the letter m is unclear; perhaps because the type body of the letter M was approximately square during the early days of typesetting, and to contrast it with the n quadrat, the letter n being approximately half as wide.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
em quad. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/em%20quad
“em quad.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/em%20quad. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “em quad,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/em%20quad.
Source: em quad on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.