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

• doll
• lovely
• beauty
• babe [slang]
• fox
• eyeful
• dish

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

According to the briefs the property was bought by Merrell Brothers, a biosolids management company which had injected the land with tens of millions of gallons of biosolid. —Peter J Reilly, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025

These lawsuits have cost the county tens of millions of dollars over the last few years alone. —Kelly Davis, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Aug. 2025

And in the tens of millions of years after Snowball Earth, the beginnings of a new planet became unmistakable. —Peter Brannen august 28, Literary Hub, 28 Aug. 2025

Today, tens of millions of shoppers turn to Amazon Fresh and Whole Foods for their full range of grocery needs while also using Amazon’s platform to shop local and specialty retailers. —Paulina Likos, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2025

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

Rhymes for ten

• ben
• bren
• chen
• den
• en
• gen
• glen
• hen
• jen
• ken
• men
• pen

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