forty-eight

[ fawr-tee-eyt ]

noun
  1. a cardinal number, 40 plus 8.

  2. a symbol for this number, such as 48 or XLVIII.

  1. a set of 48 persons or things: Of the two parties that reserved a private room tonight, the forty-eight is the larger, so put them in the east dining room just off the lounge.

  2. the forty-eight, Informal. the conterminous United States: Crossing the border into Alberta, Canada, was the first time he’d ventured beyond the forty-eight.

adjective
  1. amounting to 48 in number: So far, forty-eight students have registered for soccer.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024