I. (ˈ)fif|tēn adjective
Etymology: Middle English fiftene, from Old English fīftīene, fīftȳne, fīftēne (akin to Old High German finfzehan, Old Norse fimmtān, Gothic fimftaihunim, dative), from fīf five + -tīene, -tȳne, -tēne (from tīen, tȳn, tēn ten) — more at five , ten
: being one more than 14 in number
fifteen years
— see number table; used prepositively to designate various years of the 16th century
the fifteen -eighties
the early fifteen -hundreds
II. pronoun, plural in construction
Etymology: Middle English fiftene, from Old English fīftīene, fīftȳne, fīftēne, from fīftīene, fīftȳne, fīftēne, adjective
: 15 countable persons or things not specified but under consideration and being enumerated
fifteen are here
fifteen were found
III. noun
( -s )
1. : 10 and five : three times five
2.
a. : 15 units or objects
a total of fifteen
b. : a group or set of 15
arranged by fifteens
3. : the numerable quantity symbolized by the arabic numerals 15
4. : the 15th in a set or series ; especially : an article of clothing of the 15th size
wears a fifteen
5. : a combination of cards in cribbage whose total value is 15, each such combination counting two points
6. : the first score in a game of tennis — called also five