a. and sb. Forms: 5 quadrivialle, -vall, 5–6 quatrivial, quadryuyall(e, 7 quadruviall. [ad. med.L. quadriviālis: see QUADRIVIUM, and -AL. Cf. OF. quadruvial (Godef.).]
A. adj. 1. Having four roads or ways meeting in a point. Of roads: Leading in four directions.
a. 1490. Botoner, Itin. (Nasmith, 1778), 177. Wythynne the yate IIII quadryvyalle weyes.
a. 1637. B. Jonson, To Inigo Marquis. He [may] draw a forum with quadrivial streets.
1862. Thoreau, Excurs. (1863), 171. A trivial or quadrivial place.
1890. O. Crawfurd, Round the Calendar in Portugal, 303. Passing one day through the quadrivial square that lies beneath the clerigos tower.
† 2. Belonging to the QUADRIVIUM. Obs.
c. 1420. Pallad. on Husb., Proem 76. The philosophre … thus prompt to profre Vche art quadriuial.
1481. Botoner, Tulle on Old Age (Caxton). Light sciences called trivals, as be grammar, logyk, and rethorik in comparison of the quadrivall sciences.
c. 1495. The Epitaffe, etc. in Skelton’s Wks. (1843), II. 390. Frendely him fostered quatriuial aliaunce.
† 3. Quadrilateral. Obs. rare.
1540. Boorde, The boke for to Lerne, B iij. Deuyde the lodgynges by the cyrcuyte of the quadryuyall courte. Ibid. If there be an vtter courte made, make it quadryuyall with howses of easementes.
B. sb. † 1. A group of four. Obs. rare–1.
1432–50. trans. Higden (Rolls), I. 5. The triuialle of the vertues theologicalle and quadriuialle [L. quadrivium] of the cardinalle vertues.
2. pl. The four sciences constituting the QUADRIVIUM. Now only Hist.
1522. Skelton, Why not to Court, 511. A poore maister of arte … had lytell part of the quatriuials Nor yet of triuials.
1577. Harrison, England, II. iii. (1877), I. 78. The quadriuials … (I meane arethmetike, musike, geometrie, and astronomie).
a. 1656. Hales, Gold. Rem. (1688), 357. Trivials and Quadrivials as old clerks were wont to name them.
1716. M. Davies, Athen. Brit., II. 92. Edward Seymour … was educated in Trivials, and partly in Quadrivials in Oxon.
1886. Brodrick, Hist. Univ. Oxford, 64. These seven sciences were no other than the old Trivials and Quadrivials.
