four
four Lexical Profile
four Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Amounting to one more than three; totaling four in number.
"The dining table is surrounded by four wooden chairs."
• noun
The cardinal number equivalent to the sum of three and one; a numeral or symbol (4, IV) representing this number.
"Count to four slowly before exhaling."
A set, group, or team consisting of four people or things, such as a four-oared racing shell or its crew.
"The university rowing club entered a coxed four in the annual regatta."
A playing card, die face, or domino marked with four pips or spots.
"He played the four of hearts to follow suit."
• pronoun
Four people or things previously mentioned or easily identified from context.
"Ten applicants were interviewed for the fellowship, and four were selected."
Word Nuance & Usage
Frequently confused in writing with its homophones 'for' (a preposition indicating purpose or recipient) and 'fore' (meaning situated in front).
• Rhymes for four
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
From Old English 'feower', derived from Proto-Germanic '*fedwor' and ultimately from the Proto-Indo-European root '*kwetwer-', which also gave rise to Latin 'quattuor' and Greek 'tettares'.