to grant quarter
Preserved but no longer current.
To spare the life of an enemy in your power. The origin of the phrase is not certain, but the old suggestion that it originated from an agreement anciently made between the Dutch and the Spaniards, that the ransom of a soldier should be the quarter of his pay, is not borne out. It is more likely due to the fact that the victor would have to provide his captive with temporary quarters.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “to grant quarter” mean?
To spare the life of an enemy in your power. The origin of the phrase is not certain, but the old suggestion that it originated from an agreement anciently made between the Dutch and the Spaniards, that the ransom of a soldier should be the quarter of his pay, is not borne out. It is more likely due to the fact that the victor would have to provide his captive with temporary quarters.
Is “to grant quarter” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.