nine

noun

ˈnīn 

1

: a number that is one more than eight see Table of Numbers

2

: the ninth in a set or series

wears a nine

3

: something having nine units or members: such as

a

Nine : the nine Muses

b

: a baseball team

c

: the first or last nine holes of an 18-hole golf course

nine adjective

nine pronoun, plural in construction

see also:

to the nines

Examples of nine in a Sentence

The next card was the nine of diamonds.

She wears a size nine.

“What time is it?” “It's nine.”

He woke up at nine this morning.

Recent Examples on the Web

Robbie's return to contemporary dress came in the wake of a long Wuthering Heights promo tour that saw the actress dressed to the nines in corsets, heels, and, at one point, a bracelet made to look like Emily Brontë's hair. —Emma Banks, InStyle, 9 Mar. 2026

Spectators dress to the nines; colors, florals, dresses, fancy hats, and designer sunglasses are a common sight, as well as button-downs or a sporty suit for men. —Skye Sherman, Southern Living, 7 Mar. 2026

Marshalls is a home decor wonderland, stocked to the nines with charming and stylish pieces for every home. —Maddie Topliff, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 Mar. 2026

Liverpool had to beat off competition from Manchester City before Abe signed for their under-nines. —James Pearce, New York Times, 18 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from nyne, adjective, from Old English nigon; akin to Old High German niun nine, Latin novem, Greek ennea

First Known Use

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

Phrases Containing nine

• a stitch in time (saves nine)
• back nine
• cat-o'-nine-tails
• cloud nine
• front nine
• nine days' wonder
• nine times out of ten
• nine-to-five job
• nine-to-fiver
• ninety-nine times out of a hundred
• ninety/ninety-nine percent of the time
• on cloud nine
• sixty-nine
• the whole nine yards

Rhymes for nine

• brine
• cline
• dine
• fein
• fine
• gwine
• hine
• jain
• klein
• kline
• line
• mine

Kids Definition

nine

noun

ˈnīn 

1

: a number that is one more than eight see number

2

: the ninth in a set or series

3

: a baseball team

nine adjective or pronoun