I. ˈāt, usu ˈād.+V adjective
Etymology: Middle English eighte, from Old English eahta; akin to Old High German ahto eight, Old Norse ātta, Gothic ahtau, Latin octo, Greek oktō, Sanskrit aṣṭā
: being one more than seven in number
eight years
— see number table
II. pronoun
( plural in construction )
Etymology: Middle English eighte, from Old English eahte, from eahta, adjective
: eight countable persons or things not specified but under consideration and being enumerated
eight are here
III. noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English eighte, from eighte, adjective & pron.
1. : twice four : four times two : the cube of two
2.
a. : eight units or objects
a total of eight
b. : a group or set of eight
arranged by eights
3.
a. : the numerable quantity symbolized by the arabic numeral 8
b. : the figure 8
4. : eight o'clock — compare bell table, time illustration
5. : the eighth in a set or series: as
a. : a playing card marked to show that it is eighth in a suit
b. : an article of clothing of the eighth size
wears an eight
6. : figure eight e
7. : something having as an essential feature eight units or members: as
a. : an octosyllabic usually iambic line of verse — usually used in plural
a poem in eights
b. eights plural : octavo
a book printed in eights
c.
(1) : an 8-oared racing boat
(2) : the crew of such a boat
d. : an 8-cylinder engine or automobile
8. eights plural but singular in construction : a game in which each successive player must play a card either of the same suit or of the same rank as that played by the preceding player or may play an eight and call for any suit and in which the object is to get rid of all one's cards first — called also crazy eights