ten

noun

ˈten 

plural tens

1

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

2

: the 10th in a set or series

wears a ten

3

: something having 10 units or members

4

: a 10-dollar bill

5

: one deserving the highest rating

specifically : an exceptionally attractive person

ten adjective

ten pronoun, plural in construction

see also take ten

Synonyms

• babe [slang]
• cutie
• cutey
• dish
• doll
• dreamboat [slang]
• fox
• glamour-puss
• hottie
• knockout
• looker
• showstopper

Examples of ten in a Sentence

“What time is it” “It's ten.”

promised me that she would fix me up with a ten

Recent Examples on the Web

Zero-day vulnerabilities or faulty updates can require retailers to redeploy tens of thousands of systems across a wide geographic area very quickly. —Samir Sandesara, Forbes, 5 Sep. 2024

Watch on Deadline Road Diary opens with a look at the band’s earliest rehearsals in Red Bank, New Jersey and follows them through performances for tens of thousands across continents. —Matt Grobar, Deadline, 5 Sep. 2024

Even Capitol Hill is not spared: While lawmakers continue to work and receive pay through a government shutdown, tens of thousands of congressional staff will go without a paycheck for the duration. —Riley Beggin, USA TODAY, 5 Sep. 2024

According to the indictment, Smith used artificial intelligence to create tens of thousands of songs so that his fake streams would not alert streaming platforms and music distribution companies that a fraud was underway. —Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 5 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, going back to Old English tīen (West Saxon), tēn, going back to Germanic *tehun (whence also Old Frisian tiān, tiēn "ten," Old Saxon tehan, Old High German zehan, Old Norse tíu, Gothic taihun), going back to Indo-European *deḱm̥, whence also Old Irish deich "ten," Welsh deg, Latin decem, Old Church Slavic desętĭ, Lithuanian dẽšimt, Albanian dhjetë, Greek déka, Armenian tasn, Tocharian A śäk, Tocharian B śak, Avestan dasa, Sanskrit daśa

Note: The Slavic, Baltic, and perhaps Albanian forms are derived from the ordinal base *deḱm̥-t-.

First Known Use

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

Phrases Containing ten

• five-and-ten
• hang ten
• nine times out of ten
• not touch (someone or something) with a ten-foot pole
• take ten
• ten a penny
• ten-eighty
• ten-gallon hat
• ten out of ten
• ten-speed
• ten-strike
• ten to one

Kids Definition

ten

noun

ˈten 

1

: a number that is one more than nine see number

2

: the tenth in a set or series

the ten of hearts

3

: something having ten units or members

4

: a 10-dollar bill

ten adjective or pronoun

Medical Definition

TEN

abbreviation

toxic epidermal necrolysis