number
number Lexical Profile
number Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A sequence of digits assigned to identify a specific telephone line, street address, account, or catalog item.
"She gave the receptionist her telephone number and policy identification code."
A quantity, sum, or collection of countable people or things.
"A large number of students attended the afternoon lecture on renewable energy."
An arithmetical value, expressed by a word, symbol, or figure, representing a particular quantity and used in counting and making calculations.
"Please write down a number between one and one hundred at the top of your worksheet."
A single distinct musical song, dance routine, or theatrical performance piece within a larger show or concert program.
"The jazz band closed the evening with an upbeat instrumental number."
A grammatical category of nouns, pronouns, adjectives, and verbs that expresses count distinctions such as singular, dual, or plural.
"In standard English grammar, a verb must agree with its subject in both person and number."
• verb
To assign a numeral or sequential label to each item in a series for identification or ordering.
"Please number the pages of your manuscript consecutively in the upper right corner."
To amount to a specified total when counted.
"The town's permanent residents number just under five thousand."
To include or classify someone or something as a member of a particular group or category.
"He is proud to number several distinguished historians among his closest mentors."
• adjective
More deprived of physical sensation or emotional feeling; more numb.
"After standing in the freezing snow for another hour, his fingers felt even number than before."
Word Nuance & Usage
Use 'number of' with countable plural nouns (e.g., 'a large number of students') and 'amount of' with uncountable nouns (e.g., 'a large amount of water'). Additionally, 'a number of' takes a plural verb ('A number of issues were raised'), whereas 'the number of' takes a singular verb ('The number of issues has increased').
• Rhymes for number
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed from Old French 'nombre', which derives from Latin 'numerus' meaning 'a quantity, count, or division', ultimately traced to the Proto-Indo-European root '*nem-' meaning 'to assign, allot, or take'. The silent 'b' was inserted in Middle French and Middle English by natural phonetic transition between 'm' and 'r'.