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

Those people doled out thousands of dollars, believing that Whalen would fix up and manage the properties on their behalf. —Alexandria Burris, IndyStar, 13 Aug. 2025

Chinese customs officials are said to have seized many thousands of these that were intended for export since June alone. —Lianne Kolirin, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2025

In response to questions about the internal report, a Kehoe spokesperson said the constituent services office receives thousands of calls, emails and written communications every week. —Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 13 Aug. 2025

Yet, economists have said the policies could increase inflation and cost taxpayers thousands of dollars per year, especially if Trump doesn’t reach trade deals with key partners like Canada and Mexico. —Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 13 Aug. 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