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The four gospels/compass aspect is interesting. Merriam-Webster online doesn't mention it, so it must be (almost) exclusively European in that regard.
Main Entry: qua·tre·foil
Pronunciation: 'ka-t&r-"foil, 'ka-tr&-
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English quaterfoil set of four leaves, from Middle French quatre + Middle English -foil (as in trefoil)
1 : a conventionalized representation of a flower with four petals or of a leaf with four leaflets
2 : a 4-lobed foliation in architecture
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