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

As a result, the 49ers treated the thousands of visiting fans lining the lower bowl behind their sideline to a thrilling 17-13 victory. —Michael-Shawn Dugar, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025

Even today, thousands of its physical records are stored in former limestone mines in Missouri and Pennsylvania. —Eli Hager, ProPublica, 8 Sep. 2025

The cyanobacteria quickly grew back, thwarting efforts that cost tens of thousands of dollars. —Keith Matheny, Freep.com, 8 Sep. 2025

Join the thousands of shoppers who have already scooped up these under-the-radar sales that are about to disappear. —Isabel Garcia, PEOPLE, 7 Sep. 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