Dictionary
Thesaurus
Encyclopedia
Translator
Web
Related Searches
Nearby Words

nine

 - 5 dictionary results

nine

  [nahyn]
Use nine in a Sentence
–noun
1. a cardinal number, eight plus one.
2. a symbol for this number, as 9 or IX.
3. a set of this many persons or things.
4. a baseball team.
5. a playing card with nine pips.
6. the Nine, the Muses.
–adjective
7. amounting to nine in number.
—Idiom
8. dressed to the nines, looking one's best; dressed smartly, splendidly, etc.: All the girls were dressed to the nines for the party.
Origin:
bef. 900; ME; OE nigan, nigon, c. D negen, akin to G neun, ON nīu, Goth niun, L novem, Gk ennéa, Skt náva
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To nine
nine   (nīn)   
n.  

  1. The cardinal number equal to 8 + 1.

  2. The ninth in a set or sequence.

  3. Something having nine parts, units, or members.

  4. Games A playing card marked with nine pips.

  5. A set of nine persons or things, especially:

    1. Baseball The nine players on a side, or the whole team.

    2. Nine Greek Mythology The nine Muses.

  6. A size, as in clothing or shoes, designated as nine.

  7. Sports The first or second 9 holes of an 18-hole golf course.


[Middle English, from Old English nigon; see new in Indo-European roots.]
nine adj. & pron.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Word Origin & History

nine 
O.E. nigen, from P.Gmc. *niwun (cf. O.Fris. niugun, O.N. niu, Du. negen, Ger. neun, Goth. niun "nine"), from PIE (e)newn (cf. Skt. nava, Avestan nava, Gk. ennea, Alb. nende, L. novem, Lith. devnyi, O.C.S. deveti (the Balto-Slavic forms by dissimilation of -n- to -d-), O.Ir. noin, Welsh naw). Ninth is O.E. nigonðe. Sense in cloud nine, etc., possibly because, "As the largest one-figure integer, nine is sometimes used for emphasis" [Shipley]. Nine to five "the average workday" is attested from 1959. Nine days has been proverbial since 14c. for the time which a wonder or novelty holds attention. The game of ninepins is attested from 1580.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Idioms & Phrases

nine

see dressed to kill (to the nines); on cloud nine; possession is nine points of the law; whole nine yards.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
Cite This Source
Abbreviations & Acronyms
NINE
National Institute of Nutritional Education
The American Heritage® Abbreviations Dictionary, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Search another word or see nine on Thesaurus | Reference
FacebookTwitterFollow us:
Partner Sites:
Ask AnswersEviteExpediaHotelsHotwireLife123LiveDailyMy Way