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

Prime members can access thousands of deals across all major categories, including electronics, camping gear, clothing essentials, comfortable shoes, premium beauty products, and more. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 June 2026

The Pentagon has since moved to identify and fire thousands of transgender service members in its ranks and barred others from joining. —Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA Today, 2 June 2026

BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. —Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 2 June 2026

Savings for homeowners would shrink Under the new plan, Floridians with homestead exemptions on their homes in 2028 could still save thousands of dollars on their property taxes if it’s approved by 60% of voters in November. —Lawrence Mower Herald, Miami Herald, 2 June 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