Number | Mean of number in English Dictionary

/ˈnʌmbɚ/

• Noun
• a word or symbol (such as “five” or “16”) that represents a specific amount or quantity
1. the number seven
2. He wrote down two numbers [=numerals]: 3 and 9.
3. the numbers and letters on a license plate
4. a three-digit number like 429
5. Think of a number between one and one hundred.
6. The number 7³/₄ is greater than the number 7.25.
7. 2, 4, 6, and 8 are even numbers; 1, 3, 5, and 7 are odd numbers.
8. Let's say I have $100 to spend—that's a nice, round number. [=a number that is easily multiplied, divided, etc., and especially a number that ends in zero]
• a number or a set of numbers and other symbols that is used to identify a person or thing
1. a student's ID/identification number
2. Never give out your credit card number to anyone over the phone.
3. What's the account number on your electricity bill?
4. The page numbers are on the top corner of each page.
5. Today's winning lottery numbers are 17, 8, and 46.
6. I'm waiting for the number 3 bus.
7. Flight number 101 from Los Angeles to London is now boarding at Gate number 36.
8. What's the answer to question number 6?
9. My daughter's the pitcher, number 21.
• a person who is identified by a number and not treated in a personal or friendly way
1. We get to know each of our customers and make sure that they don't feel like they're just a number.
2. a large university where the students are just numbers

• the total amount of people or things
1. Fish were once plentiful in this river, but they have since declined in numbers. [=there are now fewer fish than there once were]
2. New houses are being built in record numbers. [=more new houses are being built now than ever before]
3. Were you surprised by the number of people who came to the party?
4. More should be done to decrease the number of violent crimes in the city.
5. Large numbers of people have left. [=many people have left]
6. Serious side effects were observed in a small number of patients. [=a few patients had serious side effects]
7. A good number of college students [=many college students] have entered the competition.
8. There are a number of [=several] different options to choose from.
9. Some students have already been absent on a number of occasions.
10. The dish can be prepared in any number of ways. [=many different ways]
11. Residents have left the city for any number of reasons.
12. They have declined in number. [=there are not as many of them as there were before]
13. The protesters were few in number, but they were very loud.
• a large group of people or things
1. There's safety/strength in numbers. [=people are safer/stronger when they are together in a group]
2. They won the battle through sheer weight of numbers. [=they won because there were so many of them]
• the version of a magazine, newspaper, etc., that is published at a particular time
1. The article is in volume 36, number 2 of this journal.
2. (Brit) the June number [=(US) issue] of the magazine
• a group of people
1. One of their number [=one of them] went missing.
• a song or dance that is usually performed as part of a concert or performance
1. For his final number he sang “Heartbreak Hotel.”
2. The actors broke into a song and dance number.
• someone or something that is attractive or desirable
1. She wore a cute little black number [=a small attractive black dress] to the dance.
2. I just bought a new car: a fast, blue number.
3. I'm going to ask that hot number [=attractive girl or woman] over there if she'll dance with me.
• numbers that show amounts of money that are spent, earned, or needed
1. We won't be able to stay in business with numbers like these!
2. I'm afraid the numbers just don't make your idea a profitable option.
3. I don't know if we can afford it. I have to look at the numbers.
4. I ran the numbers [=determined the amount of money to be spent, earned, etc.], and I just don't think we can afford it.
5. When we sat down to crunch the numbers [=to calculate exactly how much money is available, needed, etc.], we realized that we couldn't afford a new car.
• numbers that show how many people are listening to or watching a particular radio or television program
1. The network looked at the show's numbers and decided to cancel it.
• numbers that show how a person (such as an athlete) has performed in the past
1. Her numbers [=statistics, stats] make her the team's most valuable player.
2. I don't remember all of his numbers, but I know he hit 33 home runs last year.
• a gambling game in which people bet on which numbers will be chosen each day
1. playing the numbers
2. an illegal numbers game
3. the numbers racket
• the quality of a word form that shows whether the word is singular or plural
1. A verb and its subject must agree in number. [=if the subject is singular, the verb must be singular; if the subject is plural, the verb must be plural]
• bad, good, etc., at using numbers (such as for adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing)
1. What's 43 times 12? Oh, I don't know—I'm bad/lousy with numbers. [=I am bad at mathematics]
2. Ask her to do the books, she's good with numbers.
• too many to count
1. a paradise inhabited by animal species beyond number
2. The stars are beyond number.
• in a way that follows the rules or instructions but that is not interesting or original
1. Dancing by the numbers isn't good enough. You have to really feel the music.
• to have a very bad effect on (someone or something)
1. This heavy backpack is doing a number on my back.
2. The scandal really did a number on his career.
• to be able to deal with or defeat someone easily especially because you know or understand that person so well
1. She thinks she's got my number, but I'm going to prove her wrong.
• Verb
• to give a number to (someone or something in a series)
1. She numbers and arranges the photographs according to when they were taken.
2. For the quiz, take out a sheet of paper and number it from one to ten. [=write the numbers one through ten down the side of the paper]
3. Each print is signed and numbered by the artist.
4. The team's coach bought all the players numbered jerseys.
• to include (someone or something) as part of a larger group
1. She numbers among her friends three Nobel Prize winners. = She numbers three Nobel Prize winners among her friends. [=three of her friends are Nobel Prize winners]
2. He numbers her with the other great poets of the time.
3. John Keats is numbered [=ranked] among the greatest English poets.
4. I am proud to be numbered among those who have served our country.
5. She numbers among the best. [=she is one of the best]