number
Definition from Wiktionary, the free dictionary
English[edit]
Alternative forms[edit]
Etymology 1[edit]
From Middle English number, nombre, numbre, noumbre, a borrowing from Anglo-Norman noumbre, Old French nombre, from Latin numerus (“number”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *nem- (“to divide”). Compare Saterland Frisian Nummer, Nuumer, West Frisian nûmer, Dutch nummer (“number”), German Nummer (“number”), Danish nummer (“number”), Swedish nummer (“number”), Icelandic númer (“number”).
Pronunciation[edit]
- (Received Pronunciation) enPR: nŭmʹbə, IPA(key): /ˈnʌm.bə/
- (General American) IPA(key): /ˈnʌm.bɚ/
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Audio (US) (file) - Hyphenation: num‧ber
Noun[edit]
number (plural numbers)
- (countable) An abstract entity used to describe quantity.
- Zero, one, -1, 2.5, and pi are all numbers.
- (countable) A numeral: a symbol for a non-negative integer.
- The number 8 is usually made with a single stroke.
- (countable, mathematics) A member of one of several classes: natural numbers, integers, rational numbers, real numbers, complex numbers, quaternions.
- The equation includes the most important numbers: 1, 0, , , and .
- (Followed by a numeral; used attributively) Indicating the position of something in a list or sequence. Abbreviations: No or No., no or no. (in each case, sometimes written with a superscript "o", like Nº or №). The symbol "#" is also used in this manner.
- Horse number 5 won the race.
- Quantity.
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2013 June 8, “The new masters and commanders”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8839, page 52:
- From the ground, Colombo’s port does not look like much. […] But viewed from high up in one of the growing number of skyscrapers in Sri Lanka’s capital, it is clear that something extraordinary is happening: China is creating a shipping hub just 200 miles from India’s southern tip.
- Any number of people can be reading from a given repository at a time.
- Francis Bacon
- Number itself importeth not much in armies where the people are of weak courage.
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- A sequence of digits and letters used to register people, automobiles, and various other items.
- Her passport number is C01X864TN.
- (countable, informal) A telephone number.
- 2001, E. Forrest Hein, The Ruach Project, Xulon Press, page 86:
- “[...] I wonder if you could get hold of him and have him call me here at Interior. I’m in my office, do you have my number?”
- 2007, Lindsey Nicole Isham, No Sex in the City: One Virgin's Confessions on Love, Lust, Dating, and Waiting, Kregel Publications, page 111:
- When I agreed to go surfing with him he said, “Great, can I have your number?” Well, I don’t give my number to guys I don’t know.
- 2001, E. Forrest Hein, The Ruach Project, Xulon Press, page 86:
- (grammar) Of a word or phrase, the state of being singular, dual or plural, shown by inflection.
- Adjectives and nouns should agree in gender, number, and case.
- (now rare, in the plural) Poetic metres; verses, rhymes.
- 1635, John Donne, The Triple Foole:
- Griefe brought to numbers cannot be so fierce, / For, he tames it, that fetters it in verse.
- 1635, John Donne, The Triple Foole:
- (countable) A performance; especially, a single song or song and dance routine within a larger show.
- For his second number, he sang "The Moon Shines Bright".
- (countable, informal) A person.
- 1968, Janet Burroway, The dancer from the dance: a novel, Little, Brown, page 40:
- I laughed. "Don't doubt that. She's a saucy little number."
- 1988, Erica Jong, Serenissima, Dell, page 214:
- "Signorina Jessica," says the maid, a saucy little number, "your father has gone to his prayers and demands that you come to the synagogue at once [...]"
- 2005, Denise A. Agnew, Kate Hill & Arianna Hart, By Honor Bound, Ellora's Cave Publishing, page 207:
- He had to focus on the mission, staying alive and getting out, not on the sexy number rubbing up against him.
- 1968, Janet Burroway, The dancer from the dance: a novel, Little, Brown, page 40:
- (countable, informal) An item of clothing, particularly a stylish one.
- 2007, Cesca Martin, Agony Angel: So You Think You've Got Problems..., Troubador Publishing Ltd, page 134:
- The trouble was I was wearing my backless glittering number from the night before underneath, so unless I could persuade the office it was National Fancy Dress Day I was doomed to sweat profusely in bottle blue.
- 2007, Lorelei James, Running with the Devil, Samhain Publishing, Ltd, page 46:
- "I doubt the sexy number you wore earlier tonight fell from the sky."
- 2007, Cesca Martin, Agony Angel: So You Think You've Got Problems..., Troubador Publishing Ltd, page 134:
- (slang, chiefly US) A marijuana cigarette, or joint; also, a quantity of marijuana bought form a dealer.
- 2009, Thomas Pynchon, Inherent Vice, Vintage 2010, page 12:
- Back at his place again, Doc rolled a number, put on a late movie, found an old T-shirt, and sat tearing it up into short strips […]
- 2009, Thomas Pynchon, Inherent Vice, Vintage 2010, page 12:
- (dated) An issue of a periodical publication.
- the latest number of a magazine
Synonyms[edit]
Hyponyms[edit]
Hyponyms of number
grammar: Hyponyms of "number"
mathematics: Hyponyms of "number"
- See also Wikisaurus:number
Derived terms[edit]
Terms derived from number
Related terms[edit]
Related terms
See also[edit]
Translations[edit]
abstract entity
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numeral
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mathematics: number
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used to show the rank of something in a list or sequence
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quantity
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grammar: state of being singular, dual or plural
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poetic metres; verses, rhymes.
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performance
Verb[edit]
number (third-person singular simple present numbers, present participle numbering, simple past and past participle numbered)
- (transitive) To label (items) with numbers; to assign numbers to (items).
- Number the baskets so that we can find them easily.
- (intransitive) To total or count; to amount to.
- I don’t know how many books are in the library, but they must number in the thousands.
Derived terms[edit]
Translations[edit]
label with numbers; assign numbers to
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to total; to amount to
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See also[edit]
Etymology 2[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
- (Received Pronunciation) enPR: nŭm'ə, IPA(key): /ˈnʌmə/
- (US): enPR: nŭm'ər, IPA(key): /ˈnʌmɚ/
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Audio (US) (adjective) (file) - Hyphenation: num‧ber
Adjective[edit]
number
- comparative form of numb: more numb
Statistics[edit]
Estonian[edit]
Etymology[edit]
From German Nummer. The added -b- is analoguous to kamber and klamber.
Noun[edit]
number (genitive numbri, partitive numbrit)
Declension[edit]
Inflection of number (ÕS type 2/õpik, no gradation)
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | number | numbrid |
| accusative | numbri | numbrid |
| genitive | numbri | numbrite |
| partitive | numbrit | numbreid |
| illative | numbrisse | numbritesse numbreisse |
| inessive | numbris | numbrites numbreis |
| elative | numbrist | numbritest numbreist |
| allative | numbrile | numbritele numbreile |
| adessive | numbril | numbritel numbreil |
| ablative | numbrilt | numbritelt numbreilt |
| translative | numbriks | numbriteks numbreiks |
| terminative | numbrini | numbriteni |
| essive | numbrina | numbritena |
| abessive | numbrita | numbriteta |
| comitative | numbriga | numbritega |
Categories:
- English terms inherited from Middle English
- English terms borrowed from Anglo-Norman
- English terms borrowed from Old French
- English terms derived from Latin
- English terms derived from Proto-Indo-European
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English terms with audio links
- English lemmas
- English nouns
- English countable nouns
- en:Mathematics
- English informal terms
- en:Grammar
- English terms with rare senses
- English slang
- American English
- English dated terms
- English verbs
- English transitive verbs
- English intransitive verbs
- English non-lemma forms
- English adjective comparative forms
- English basic words
- English heteronyms
- en:Parts of speech
- Estonian lemmas
- Estonian nouns
- Estonian õpik-type nominals
