beat to quarters

== English == === Etymology === See beat (“to signal beating a drum”) === Verb === beat to quarters (third-person singular simple present beats to quarters, present participle beating to quarters, simple past beat to quarters, past participle beaten to quarters) (intransitive, nautical) To summon the crew of a sailing man-of-war to their stations for action against an enemy. ==== Related terms ==== beat a retreat ==== Trivia ==== In the Royal Navy the drums were beaten to the rhythm of Heart of Oak. === See also === battle stations