crotchet

n.

1. An odd, whimsical, or stubborn notion.
2. Music. See quarter note.
3. Obsolete. A small hook or hooklike structure.

[Middle English crochet, from Old French. See crochet.]

The note, in American usage called a quarter-note, that is half the value of a minim/half-note and double that of a quaver/eighth-note. It is the equivalent of the semiminim and is first found in 14th century music. In some early sources in black notation, it was shown as a minim/half-note with a crook; hence its name. In the 20th century, the crotchet/quarter-note is widely regarded as a convenient value for the standard pulse and is the denominator in the most frequently used time signatures. See NOTE VALUES.

---

Obsolete term for crocket.

---

[n] a highly individual and usually eccentric opinion or preference

IN BRIEF: n. - A small tool or hooklike implement; A strange attitude or habit; A musical note having the time value of a quarter of a whole note; A sharp curve or crook.

Tutor's tip: Her oddest "crotchet" (an odd kind of trick) was to sit up in the "crotched" (angled by the separation of two parts like branches) part of the tree and "crochet" (a type of knitting using a single needle).

Dansk (Danish)
n. - grille, krog, fjerdedelsnode

Nederlands (Dutch)
kwart noot, haakje, broche, eigenaardige fantasie, vreemd(e) truc/apparaat

Français (French)
n. - (GB, Mus) noire

Deutsch (German)
n. - Viertelnote

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - τυπογραφική αγκύλη, παραξενιά, λόξα, (μουσ.) τέταρτο

Italiano (Italian)
semiminima, uncinetto

Português (Portuguese)
n. - raridade (f), fantasia (f), colchete (m), colcheia (f) (Mús.)

Русский (Russian)
каприз, причуда, крюк, 4-я нота

Español (Spanish)
n. - negra, idea fija, manía

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - fjärdedelsnot (mus.), klammer (typogr.), konstig idé

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
怪想, 小钩, 反复无常, 钩状器官

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 怪想, 小鉤, 反復無常, 鉤狀器官

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 변덕, 갈고리 모양의 기관

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 奇想, 四分音符

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) علامه موسيقيه‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮רבע תו, רעיון מוזר, וו‬

If you are unable to view some languages clearly, click here.

To select your translation preferences click here.