nine

noun

ˈnīn 

1

: a number that is one more than eight see Table of Numbers

2

: the ninth in a set or series

wears a nine

3

: something having nine units or members: such as

a

Nine : the nine Muses

b

: a baseball team

c

: the first or last nine holes of an 18-hole golf course

nine adjective

nine pronoun, plural in construction

Phrases

to the nines

1

: to perfection

2

: in a highly elaborate or showy manner

dressed to the nines

Examples of nine in a Sentence

The next card was the nine of diamonds.

She wears a size nine.

“What time is it?” “It's nine.”

He woke up at nine this morning.

Recent Examples on the Web

As the fourth iteration of the BravoCon fan convention kicked off in Las Vegas on Thursday night, thousands of women, and some men, poured into the PH Live Theater lobby at Planet Hollywood bubbling with excitement, chattering and dressed to the nines. —Melinda Sheckells, HollywoodReporter, 14 Nov. 2025

Earle was dressed to the nines, well, more like the tens — some foreshadowing there — for the occasion, donning a glistening white and silver gown with feather accents, along with long white gloves and a blinding choker. —Hannah Kirby, jsonline.com, 12 Nov. 2025

Attendees dressed to the nines for the regal occasion, including a ball gown topped with a tiara for Queen Letizia. —Stephanie Petit, PEOPLE, 5 Nov. 2025

Dressed to the nines, Courtnie and Josh tied the knot in heartwarming fashion, and then proceeded to the reception, where the wedding party was introduced to the sounds of the the anthem for the Chicago Bulls. —Victoria Uwumarogie, Essence, 29 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from nyne, adjective, from Old English nigon; akin to Old High German niun nine, Latin novem, Greek ennea

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing nine

• a stitch in time (saves nine)
• back nine
• cat-o'-nine-tails
• cloud nine
• front nine
• nine days' wonder
• nine times out of ten
• nine-to-five job
• nine-to-fiver
• ninety-nine times out of a hundred
• ninety/ninety-nine percent of the time
• on cloud nine
• sixty-nine
• the whole nine yards

Rhymes for nine

• brine
• cline
• dine
• fein
• fine
• gwine
• hine
• jain
• klein
• kline
• line
• mine

Kids Definition

nine

noun

ˈnīn 

1

: a number that is one more than eight see number

2

: the ninth in a set or series

3

: a baseball team

nine adjective or pronoun