(~s)
Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English.
Note: The plural form is '~' after a number, or after a word or expression referring to a number, such as ‘several’ or ‘a few’.
1.
If you have a ~ things, you have twelve of them.
You will be able to take ten ~ bottles free of duty through customs...
His chicken eggs sell for $22 a ~.
NUM: usu a /num NUM
2.
You can refer to a group of approximately twelve things or people as a ~. You can refer to a group of approximately six things or people as half a ~.
In half a ~ words, he had explained the bond that linked them...
The riot left four people dead and several ~ injured.
NUM: usu a /num NUM
3.
If you refer to ~s of things or people, you are emphasizing that there are very many of them.
...a storm which destroyed ~s of homes and buildings.
QUANT: QUANT of pl-n emphasis
•
You can also use ~s as a pronoun.
Just as revealing are Mr Johnson’s portraits, of which there are ~s.
PRON