thousand

noun

thou·​sand ˈthau̇-zᵊn(d) How to pronounce thousand (audio)
plural thousands or thousand
1
: a number equal to 10 times 100 see Table of Numbers
2
: a very large number
thousands of ants
thousand adjective
thousandfold adjective or adverb
thousandth adjective or noun

Examples of thousand in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Yet, while eBay has a history of pulling governmental space debris, smaller objects such as purported SpaceX heat shield tiles and tile fragments, currently proliferate on the auction site, reportedly selling in the thousands. Harri Weber, Popular Science, 16 May 2024 Black landownership plummets Throughout much of the 20th century, racially motivated eminent domain, discriminatory lending and racist policy uprooted Black communities, displaced hundreds of thousands of Black Americans and erased billions of dollars in generational wealth. Darrell Smith, Sacramento Bee, 16 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for thousand 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'thousand.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English thūsend; akin to Old High German dūsunt thousand, Lithuanian tūkstantis, and probably to Sanskrit tavas strong, Latin tumēre to swell — more at thumb entry 1

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of thousand was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near thousand

Cite this Entry

“Thousand.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thousand. Accessed 19 May. 2024.

Kids Definition

thousand

noun
thou·​sand ˈthau̇z-ᵊn(d) How to pronounce thousand (audio)
plural thousands or thousand
1
: a number equal to 10 times 100 see number
2
: a very large number
thousands of ants
thousand adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on thousand

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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