MYRIAD

I. noun Etymology: Greek ~-, myrias, from myrioi countless, ten thousand Date: 1555 ten thousand, a great number , Usage: Recent criticism of the use of ~ as a noun, both in the plural form ~s and in the phrase a ~ of, seems to reflect a mistaken belief that the word was originally and is still properly only an adjective. As the entries here show, however, the noun is in fact the older form, dating to the 16th century. The noun ~ has appeared in the works of such writers as Milton (plural ~s) and Thoreau (a ~ of), and it continues to occur frequently in reputable English. There is no reason to avoid it. II. adjective Date: 1765 innumerable , having innumerable aspects or elements