quadtree

Q10U1A1D2T1R1E1E1

noun

A treelike data structure each of whose nodes has up to four children, most often used to partition a two-dimensional space by recursively subdividing it.

UncommonScrabble 18
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Meanings

nounquadtree (plural quadtrees)

plural quadtrees

  1. computerA treelike data structure each of whose nodes has up to four children, most often used to partition a two-dimensional space by recursively subdividing it.

    H.265 employs a more flexible quadtree structure that refines motion search.

    2015, Benny Bing, Next-Generation Video Coding and Streaming, John Wiley & Sons, →ISBN, page 127

Origin

From quad- + tree, coined by Raphael Finkel and J. L. Bentley in 1974.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Finnish nelipuu
  • nelipuutreelike data structure
German Quadtree, Quaternärbaum
  • Quadtreetreelike data structure
  • Quaternärbaumtreelike data structure
Polish drzewo czwórkowe
  • drzewo czwórkowetreelike data structure
Cite this entry
APA

quadtree. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/quadtree

MLA

“quadtree.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/quadtree. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “quadtree,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/quadtree.

Source: quadtree on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.