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

Praises are sung for industry while defensive bunkers, of which Hoxha build hundreds of thousands, withstand test blasts, proving their readiness to stand up to decadent imperialist forces from the West. —Will Tizard, Variety, 2 Nov. 2025

The most notable failure of the Nigerian government is that successive administrations have in over a decade and a half been unable to end the scourge of Boko Haram and other Islamist or related terrorist groups that have indeed killed thousands of Christians. —Yinka Adegoke, semafor.com, 2 Nov. 2025

Happy Meal toys like Transformer figurines and Hot Wheels cars have sparked joy with little kids for decades—and now, one of the designers behind the miniatures is changing lives for thousands of people. —Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 2 Nov. 2025

Here, a vast expanse of rolling white dunes embraces thousands of shimmering turquoise and emerald freshwater lagoons, sculpted by seasonal rains. —Lily Bunker, Travel + Leisure, 2 Nov. 2025

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