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

Construction began in 2006 after a competition that attracted some of the world’s foremost architectural firms and months of debate over whether to rebuild where thousands were killed in the 9/11 attacks. —Usa Today Network, USA Today, 10 June 2026

Unlike thousands of hunting pictures, including those by Homer, where dogs belong, there is no such reason for the dog to be here; workers did not take dogs into the factory. —Literary Hub, 10 June 2026

Even though many analysts would have England among the favourites, these fans — who have already spent thousands on their summer plans — see it differently. —Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 10 June 2026

The video and the SCE data offer proof that the 100-year-old line, which hadn’t been used since the early 1970s, became re-electrified and sparked the fire that killed 19 people and destroyed thousands of homes in Altadena and surrounding areas, attorneys say. —Tony Saavedra, Daily News, 10 June 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