| 1. | a numeral or group of numerals. |
| 2. | the sum, total, count, or aggregate of a collection of units, or the like: A number of people were hurt in the accident. The number of homeless children in the city has risen alarmingly. |
| 3. | a word or symbol, or a combination of words or symbols, used in counting or in noting a total. |
| 4. | the particular numeral assigned to an object so as to designate its place in a series: house number; license number. |
| 5. | one of a series of things distinguished by or marked with numerals. |
| 6. | a certain collection, company, or quantity not precisely reckoned, but usually considerable or large: I've gone there a number of times. |
| 7. | the full count of a collection or company. |
| 8. | a collection or company. |
| 9. | a quantity of individuals: Their number was more than 20,000. |
| 10. | numbers,
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| 11. | quantity as composed of units: to increase the number of eligible voters. |
| 12. | numerical strength or superiority; complement: The garrison is not up to its full number. |
| 13. | a tune or arrangement for singing or dancing. |
| 14. | a single or distinct performance within a show, as a song or dance: The comic routine followed the dance number. |
| 15. | a single part of a program made up of a group of similar parts: For her third number she played a nocturne. |
| 16. | any of a collection of poems or songs. |
| 17. | a distinct part of an extended musical work or one in a sequence of compositions. |
| 18. | conformity in music or verse to regular beat or measure; rhythm. |
| 19. | a single part of a book published in a series of parts. |
| 20. | a single issue of a periodical: several numbers of a popular magazine. |
| 21. | a code of numerals, letters, or a combination of these assigned to a particular telephone: Did you call the right number? |
| 22. | Grammar. a category of noun, verb, or adjective inflection found in many languages, as English, Latin, and Arabic, used to indicate whether a word has one or more than one referent. There may be a two-way distinction in number, as between singular and plural, three-way, as between singular, dual, and plural, or more. |
| 23. | Informal. person; individual: the attractive number standing at the bar. |
| 24. | Informal. an article of merchandise, esp. of wearing apparel, offered for sale: Put those leather numbers in the display window. |
| 25. | mathematics regarded as a science, a basic concept, and a mode of thought: Number is the basis of science. |
| 26. | to mark with or distinguish by numbers: Number each of the definitions. |
| 27. | to amount to or comprise in number; total: The manuscript already numbers 425 pages. |
| 28. | to consider or include in a number: I number myself among his friends. |
| 29. | to count over one by one; tell: to number one's blessings. |
| 30. | to mention individually or one by one; enumerate: They numbered the highlights of their trip at length. |
| 31. | to set or fix the number of; limit in number; make few in number: The sick old man's days are numbered. |
| 32. | to live or have lived (a number of years). |
| 33. | to ascertain the number of; count. |
| 34. | to apportion or divide: The players were numbered into two teams. |
| 35. | to make a total; reach an amount: Casualties numbered in the thousands. |
| 36. | to be numbered or included (usually fol. by among or with): Several eminent scientists number among his friends. |
| 37. | to count. |
| 38. | by the numbers,
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| 39. | do a number on, Slang.
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| 40. | do one's number,
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| 41. | get or have someone's number, Informal. to become informed about someone's real motives, character, intentions, etc.: He was only interested in her fortune, but she got his number fast. |
| 42. | have one's number on it, Slang. to be thought of as the instrument of fate in the death of a person: That bullet had his number on it. |
| 43. | one's number is (was, will be) up, Slang.
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| 44. | without number, of unknown or countless number; vast: stars without number. |

num·ber (nŭm'bər) n.
v. tr.
[Middle English nombre, from Old French, from Latin numerus; see nem- in Indo-European roots.] num'ber·er n. Usage Note: As a collective noun number may take either a singular or a plural verb. It takes a singular verb when it is preceded by the definite article the: The number of skilled workers is small. It takes a plural verb when preceded by the indefinite article a: A number of the workers are unskilled. |
number num·ber (nŭm'bər)
n.
A symbol expressive of a certain value or of a specific quantity determined by count.
The place of any unit in a series.
number (nŭm'bər) Pronunciation Key
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