A quart is a unit of measurement for liquids equal to one quarter of a gallon, or two pints. If you've ever helped make lemonade using a recipe that called for a quart of water, or seen your parent buy a quart of milk at the store, you've worked with this measurement. A quart equals 32 fluid ounces, which means four cups fit inside a quart.

Picture a gallon of milk from the grocery store: slice that amount into four equal parts, and each piece is a quart.

In the kitchen, quart-sized containers show up all the time. Ice cream often comes in quart containers. A standard mason jar holds about a quart. If you're cooking soup or chili, many recipes make around two quarts, enough to feed a family.

While many countries use liters instead of quarts, Americans still measure many liquids in quarts. It's useful to know that a quart is just slightly less than a liter (a liter is about 1.06 quarts), which helps when you're converting recipes or comparing bottle sizes.