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

Rights groups say thousands were killed and tens of thousands arrested, while Iranian authorities have reported a substantially lower death toll. — Arkansas Online, 1 Oct. 2026

Peru has endured heavy rains, landslides, and flooding that has affected hundreds of thousands of people, and the resulting economic disruptions are likely to intensify as the year continues. — Dan Restrepo, Foreign Affairs, 30 Sep. 2026

Seven judges described a flood of cases after thousands of arrests; Judge Patrick Schiltz said the surge threatened the rule of law and accused ICE of defying nearly 100 court orders. — Alanna Durkin Richer, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2026

While there is an on-site restaurant, bar, meeting house, freshwater pool, and gift shop, the grounds themselves are rustic, palm tree-lined, and a refuge for thousands of adorable, unobtrusive hermit crabs. — Joey Skladany, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Sep. 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