I. num·ber 1 S1 W1 /ˈnʌmbə $ -bər/ BrE AmE noun
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ number , ↑ numeral , ↑ numeracy , ↑ numerator , ↑ innumeracy ; adjective : ↑ innumerable , ↑ numerical , ↑ numerous , ↑ numerate ≠ ↑ innumerate ; verb : ↑ number , ↑ outnumber ; adverb : ↑ numerically ]
[ Date: 1200-1300 ; Language: Old French ; Origin: nombre , from Latin numerus ]
1 . NUMBER [countable] a word or sign that represents an exact amount or quantity ⇨ numeral , figure :
They wrote various numbers on a large sheet of paper.
Add all the numbers together.
an even number (=2, 4, 6, 8 etc)
an odd number (=1, 3, 5, 7 etc)
a round number (=one ending in 0)
A hundred pounds is a good round number.
I’m no good with numbers.
2 . PHONE [countable] a phone number:
My new number is 502–6155.
sb’s home/office/work number
I gave him my home number.
mobile/fax number
What’s your mobile number?
Sorry, you have the wrong number.
3 . IN A SET/LIST [countable] a number used to show the position of something in an ordered set or list:
Answer question number 4.
a number 17 bus
⇨ ↑ E number , ↑ No. 10 , ↑ number one 1
4 . FOR RECOGNIZING SOMEBODY/SOMETHING [countable] a set of numbers used to name or recognize someone or something
model/account etc number
What is your account number, please?
Press 1 to change the printer number.
Did you get the number (=↑ registration number) of the car? British English
⇨ ↑ box number , ↑ PIN number , ↑ serial number
5 . AMOUNT [uncountable and countable] an amount of something that can be counted SYN quantity
the number of something
The number of cars on our roads rose dramatically last year.
a number of something
We have been friends for a number of years.
in number
The condors have dwindled to an estimated sixty in number.
GRAMMAR
Use a singular verb after the number of :
▪
The number of farmers is decreasing.
You are talking about the size of the group.
Use a plural verb after a number of :
▪
A number of options were suggested.
You are referring to the group.
6 . numbers [plural] how many people there are, especially people attending an event or doing an activity together:
Can you give me some idea of numbers?
student/client etc numbers
Visitor numbers increase in the summer.
The sheer weight of numbers (=large number of people) on stage made the performance more impressive.
7 . MUSIC [countable] a piece of popular music that forms part of a longer performance:
Madonna sang several numbers from her latest album.
⇨ ↑ production number
8 . MAGAZINE [countable] British English a copy of a magazine or newspaper printed on a particular date SYN issue
number of
I was reading the latest number of ‘Surfing’.
back numbers (=old copies) of ‘The Times’
9 . have sb’s number informal to understand something about someone that helps you deal with them:
Judy had always had his number.
10 . black/elegant etc (little) number informal a black, ↑ elegant etc dress or suit, especially a woman’s:
She was wearing a chic little number.
11 . sb’s number comes up someone has the winning number in a competition
12 . sb’s number is up ( also sb’s number has come up ) informal
a) used to say that someone will stop being lucky or successful
b) used to say that someone will die – used humorously:
She told her husband she didn’t mind going when her number was up.
13 . the numbers
a) information about something that is shown using numbers:
Chris, have you got the numbers yet?
b) an illegal game in the US in which people risk money on the appearance of a combination of numbers in a newspaper:
playing the numbers
14 . by numbers if you do something by numbers, you do it in a basic way by following a set of simple instructions – used to show disapproval:
The last thing we want is teaching by numbers.
15 . do a number on somebody/something informal to hurt or damage someone or something badly:
Tod really did a number on the old house. I don’t envy the new tenants.
16 . beyond/without number literary if things are beyond number, there are so many of them that no one could count them all
17 . GROUP OF PEOPLE [uncountable] formal a group of people
one/two/several etc of our/their number
Only three of our number could speak Italian.
They wanted to choose a leader from among their own number.
18 . GRAMMAR [uncountable] technical the form of a word, depending on whether one thing or more than one thing is being talked about:
‘Horses’ is plural in number, while ‘horse’ is singular.
• • •
COLLOCATIONS (for Meaning 1)
■ adjectives
▪ a lucky number (=a number you think gives you good luck)
Three is my lucky number.
▪ an even number (=2, 4, 6, 8 etc)
All even numbers can be divided by 2.
▪ an odd number (=1, 3, 5, 7 etc)
You can’t work in pairs if you’ve got an odd number of people.
▪ a round number (=a number ending in zero)
A hundred is a nice round number.
▪ a positive number (=a number that is more than zero)
Maths is easier if you are dealing with positive numbers.
▪ a negative/minus number (=a number that is less than zero)
Can a negative number have a square root?
▪ a prime number (=a number such as 13 that can be divided only by itself and 1)
After 7, what is the next prime number?
▪ a cardinal number (=a number such as 1, 2, or 3 that shows how many of something there are)
Numbers go on to infinity, so there is no last cardinal number.
▪ an ordinal number (=a number such as 1st, 2nd, or 3rd that shows where something comes in a series or list)
The children learn about position and ordinal numbers when they stand in a line.
▪ a whole number (=a number that is not a fraction)
■ verbs
▪ add numbers together
Add the two numbers together and divide by three.
▪ add up numbers (=add several numbers together)
Write all the numbers down, then add them up.
▪ subtract one number from another
Subtract this number from the total.
▪ multiply one number by another
What happens if you multiply a postive number by a negative number?
▪ divide one number by another
You can’t divide a prime number by any other number, except 1.
• • •
COLLOCATIONS (for Meaning 5)
■ adjectives
▪ a large/great number
A large number of children were running around in the playground.
▪ a vast/huge number (=very large)
We’ve had a huge number of complaints.
▪ a high number
There seems to be no reason for the high number of suicides.
▪ a considerable/substantial/significant number (=quite a large number)
He received a substantial number of votes.
|
A considerable number of students left after the first year.
▪ a good number (=quite a lot)
He has written a good number of books for children.
▪ a small number
The class had only a small number of students.
▪ a low number
the low numbers of women involved in sports coaching
▪ a limited number (=quite small)
A limited number of copies were printed.
▪ a tiny number (=very small)
Only a tiny number of these animals remain in the wild.
▪ a growing/increasing number
An increasing number of women are entering the profession.
■ verbs
▪ increase the number of something
As you improve, increase the number of times you do each exercise.
▪ reduce the number of something
We need to reduce the number of cars on the road.
▪ a number increases/goes up/grows/rises
The number of mobile phones has increased dramatically.
▪ a number doubles (=becomes twice as big)
The number of road accidents has doubled in the last ten years.
▪ a number falls/drops/goes down/decreases/declines
The number of new houses being built is falling steadily.
▪ a number halves (=becomes twice as small)
The number of children failing at school has halved in recent years.
■ phrases
▪ in large/increasing/limited etc numbers
Birds nest here in large numbers.
▪ any number of something (=a very large number of them)
There have been any number of magazine articles about the celebrity couple.
▪ bring the number to 25, 120 etc
This will bring the number of jobs lost at the company to 85.
■ COMMON ERRORS
► Do not say 'a big number of people/things’ . Say a large number of people/things .
II. number 2 BrE AmE verb
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ number , ↑ numeral , ↑ numeracy , ↑ numerator , ↑ innumeracy ; adjective : ↑ innumerable , ↑ numerical , ↑ numerous , ↑ numerate ≠ ↑ innumerate ; verb : ↑ number , ↑ outnumber ; adverb : ↑ numerically ]
1 . [transitive] to give a number to something that is part of an ordered set or list:
They haven’t numbered the pages of the report.
All the seats in the theatre are numbered.
Each check is numbered consecutively.
a numbering system
number something (from) 1 to 10/100 etc
Number the questions 1 to 25.
2 . [linking verb] if people or things number a particular amount, that is how many there are:
The population of the town numbered about 5,000.
The men on strike now number 5% of the workforce.
3 . sb’s/sth’s days are numbered used to say that someone or something cannot live or continue for much longer:
I knew my days were numbered at that firm.
4 . number among something/be numbered among something formal to be included as one of a particular group:
He was a successful corporate lawyer who numbered among his clients JPMorgan and Standard Oil.
5 . [transitive] literary to count something:
Who can number the stars?
number off phrasal verb British English
if soldiers number off, each one calls out their number when their turn comes SYN count off American English