NUMBER


Meaning of NUMBER in English

/ ˈnʌmbə(r); NAmE / noun , verb

■ noun

WORD / SYMBOL

1.

[ C ] a word or symbol that represents an amount or a quantity

SYN figure :

Think of a number and multiply it by two.

a high / low number

even numbers (= 2, 4, 6, etc.)

odd numbers (= 1, 3, 5, etc.)

You owe me 27 dollars? Make it 30, that's a good round number .

—see also cardinal number , ordinal , prime number , whole number

POSITION IN SERIES

2.

[ C ] ( abbr. No. ) ( symb # ) used before a figure to show the position of sth in a series :

They live at number 26.

The song reached number 5 in the charts.

TELEPHONE, etc.

3.

[ C ] (often in compounds) a number used to identify sth or communicate by telephone, fax , etc. :

My phone number is 266998.

I'm sorry, I think you have the wrong number (= wrong telephone number) .

What is your account number, please?

—see also box number , E-number , PIN , registration number , serial number

QUANTITY

4.

[ C ] number (of sb/sth) a quantity of people or things :

A large number of people have applied for the job.

The number of homeless people has increased dramatically.

Huge numbers of (= very many) animals have died.

A number of (= some) problems have arisen.

I could give you any number of (= a lot of) reasons for not going.

We were eight in number (= there were eight of us).

Nurses are leaving the profession in increasing numbers.

Sheer weight of numbers (= the large number of soldiers) secured them the victory.

staff / student numbers

HELP NOTE : A plural verb is needed after a / an (large, small, etc.) number of ...

GROUP OF PEOPLE

5.

[ sing. ] ( formal ) a group or quantity of people :

one of our number (= one of us)

The prime minister is elected by MPs from among their number.

MAGAZINE

6.

[ C ] ( BrE ) the version of a magazine, etc. published on a particular day, in a particular month, etc.

SYN issue :

the October number of 'Vogue'

—see also back number

SONG / DANCE

7.

[ C ] a song or dance, especially one of several in a performance :

They sang a slow romantic number.

THING ADMIRED

8.

[ sing. ] ( informal ) (following one or more adjectives) a thing, such as a dress or a car, that is admired :

She was wearing a black velvet number.

GRAMMAR

9.

[ U ] the form of a word, showing whether one or more than one person or thing is being talked about :

The word 'men' is plural in number.

The subject of a sentence and its verb must agree in number.

IDIOMS

- by numbers

- by the numbers

- have (got) sb's number

- your number is up

- numbers game

—more at cushy , opposite adjective , safety , weight noun

■ verb

MAKE A SERIES

1.

to give a number to sth as part of a series or list :

[ vn ]

All the seats in the stadium are numbered.

Number the car's features from 1 to 10 according to importance.

[ v ]

I couldn't work out the numbering system for the hotel rooms.

[also vn - n ]

MAKE STH AS TOTAL

2.

[ v - n ] to make a particular number when added together

SYN add up to sth :

The crowd numbered more than a thousand.

We numbered 20 (= there were 20 of us in the group) .

INCLUDE

3.

number (sb/sth) among sth ( formal ) to include sb/sth in a particular group; to be included in a particular group :

[ vn ]

I number her among my closest friends.

[ v \]

He numbers among the best classical actors in Britain.

IDIOMS

see day

••

WORD ORIGIN

Middle English : from Old French nombre (noun), nombrer (verb), from Latin numerus .

Oxford Advanced Learner's English Dictionary.      Оксфордский английский словарь для изучающик язык на продвинутом уровне.