thousand

noun

thou·​sand ˈthau̇-zᵊn(d) 

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

ˈthau̇-zᵊn(d)-ˌfōld 

adjective or adverb

thousandth

ˈthau̇-zᵊn(t)th 

adjective or noun

Examples of thousand in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

That suit alleges Ticketmaster knowingly let brokers use thousands of accounts to get around ticket limits, then profited when those tickets were resold on its own marketplace. — James Laforge, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026

This tiny wearable device could record thousands of individual neurons simultaneously as animals swim, play, explore, and interact naturally. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 21 Oct. 2026

In early 1976, Sidney Gibson tried at least twice to make the balloon a centerpiece of a small summer fair, envisioning thousands of people coming to marvel at and ride in the balloon. — Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 21 Oct. 2026

In a flatbed truck adorned with SEIU banners and purple and yellow pennants, union leaders addressed a crowd of thousands. — Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 21 Oct. 2026

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

Phrases Containing thousand

• a picture is worth a thousand words
• bat a thousand
• never/not in a thousand/million/billion years
• thousand-legger

Kids Definition

thousand

noun

thou·​sand ˈthau̇z-ᵊn(d) 

plural thousands or thousand

1

: a number equal to 10 times 100 see number

2

: a very large number

thousands of ants

thousand adjective