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

Tokyo — In scenes normally reserved for J-pop stars, thousands of fans huddle against the cold outside a small train station on the outskirts of Tokyo, their phones held high for a glimpse of Japan’s latest obsession. —Hanako Montgomery, CNN Money, 6 Feb. 2026

Finding an Italian suit or a high-end wool coat for a few dollars and spending a little more on tailoring can save you thousands compared to buying the same item brand new. —Gabi De La Rosa, Southern Living, 5 Feb. 2026

That won’t be easy to defend in a general election where the race will hang on tens of thousands of votes in states such as Georgia, Michigan and North Carolina. —Bret Stephens, Mercury News, 5 Feb. 2026

The Islamic Republic of Iran’s supreme leader, Khamenei, would order just weeks later the murder of thousands of Iranian demonstrators. —Benjamin Weinthal, FOXNews.com, 5 Feb. 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