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An Encyclopædia Britannica Company

by numbers

Definition of by numbers

: in a way that follows the rules or instructions but that is not interesting or original Dancing by numbers isn't good enough. You have to really feel the music.

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up by numbers? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

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WORD OF THE DAY

flagrant

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conspicuously offensive

Words at Play

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Drawing a Conclusion About "Sketchy"

How did "sketchy" come to describe creeps?

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What's the Singular of 'Scissors'?

A tricky, double-edged word origin.

a-woman-waits-at-the-end-of-a-gloomy-pier-does-she-wait-for-charon-the-ferryman-to-the-underworld-it-is-dark-but-she-carries-a-parasol

Great Words for Twilight and Darkness

Words for the goth in all of us

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Helium: This Word Brought to You by a Solar Eclipse

And by the Sun, with some help from Greek.

Ask the Editors

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Words of the Year: 1066

Or, Why Pig Meat is Called 'Pork' and Cow Meat is Called 'Beef'

How Often Is 'Biweekly'?

Don't get us started on 'bimonthly'

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Irregardless

It is in fact a real word (but that doesn't mean you should use it).

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Weird Plurals

One goose, two geese. One moose, two... moose. What's up with that?

Word Games

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Time Traveler Quiz: Which Word Came First?

Which word entered the English language first?

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Name More Food!

Test your knowledge of food vocabulary!

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True or False?

Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.

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SCRABBLE® Sprint

SCRABBLE® Sprint

SCRABBLE® fans, sharpen your skills!

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