Quarts and quartz are two words that are pronounced in the same way but are spelled differently and have different meanings. They are homophones. We will examine the difference between the definitions for quarts and quartz, where these words came from and some examples of their use in sentences.
Quarts is the plural form of the word quart, which is a unit of volume. A quart is generally a liquid measurement, though, in the United States, it is sometimes used as a dry measurement. A quart is equal to a quarter of a gallon, or two pints. The word quart is derived from the Latin word quarta which means one-fourth of a part.
Quartz is a crystal mineral made up of silica. Quartz may be colorless or have a range of colors from purple to yellow due to the addition of other minerals while the quartz is forming. Quartz is the second most abundant mineral in the Earth’s crust. The word quartz is derived from the German word Quarz meaning rock crystal.
Examples
The picnic pack feeds eight people with two pounds of pulled pork, eight white bread buns, two quarts of vegetables, one side of pickles and onions and one side of jalapenos. (The Corpus Christi Caller-Times)
Customers will also receive free top-offs on motor oil with the same type of oil purchased and any or all of the five vital fluids between service visits (up to a maximum of two quarts per fluid), Jiffy Lube reported in a news release. (The Brainer Dispatch)
In a modern quartz movement, an electronic circuit measures those vibrations and converts them into electrical pulses timed a second apart. (The Atlantic)
The layers of quartz contain tubes and tendrils of hematite—a form of iron oxide or rust—likely deposited by bacteria that oxidized iron for energy. (Popular Mechanics Magazine)
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