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

In such a campaign, having the B-2s, as well as B-1 and B-52 bombers, using bases thousands of miles closer to Iran would enable quicker turnarounds to rearm and refuel for more strikes. —Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 20 Feb. 2026

Prosecutors allege that Knox used Harm Reduction-SD’s checking account to pay more than $90,000 in credit card payments for thousands of personal items and services from January 2024 to May 2025. —Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 19 Feb. 2026

The political files show that in the Republican race, Cornyn, Paxton and Hunt also spent hundreds of thousands of dollars between them in the last month on the CBS station. —Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 19 Feb. 2026

Each line—which has the capability to produce thousands of pieces a week today and is expected to reach a million-piece capacity next year—is currently staffed by 14 people. —Sarah Jones, Sourcing Journal, 19 Feb. 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