thousand

noun

thou·​sand ˈthau̇-zᵊn(d) How to pronounce thousand (audio)
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 adjective or adverb
thousandth adjective or noun

Examples of thousand in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Because there are thousands of cell types in the brain, all doing vastly different, complex tasks, Lee said this helps understand how each cell contributes to the brain’s make-up and function. Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 16 Mar. 2024 Nearly 250 soldiers have since been killed, and thousands more injured. Yair Rosenberg, The Atlantic, 15 Mar. 2024 Luther eventually split from Rome, forming the first of what would become thousands of Protestant branches of Christianity. Lanta Davis and Vince Reighard, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Mar. 2024 As a result of the Midwest storms, thousands of people were under a tornado watch or a tornado warning due to the severe weather. USA TODAY, 15 Mar. 2024 Economists are expecting prices to ease as thousands of new homes finish construction and become available later this year. Rachel Siegel, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2024 The big skeletons, which have posable limbs, became hot during the pandemic three years ago, and some were just so large — and expensive, costing hundreds and thousands of dollars online — that some people decided to just leave them up, accessorizing them for various holidays. Frank Witsil, Detroit Free Press, 15 Mar. 2024 The Texas governor and Republicans have repeatedly used inflammatory language to describe the tens of thousands of asylum-seekers and other migrants arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border. Melissa Brown, USA TODAY, 4 Mar. 2024 Tens of thousands of people hike the challenging Cathedral Rock Trail each year. Michael Salerno, The Arizona Republic, 4 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'thousand.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of thousand was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near thousand

Cite this Entry

“Thousand.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thousand. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

thousand

noun
thou·​sand ˈthau̇z-ᵊn(d) How to pronounce thousand (audio)
plural thousands or thousand
1
: a number equal to 10 times 100 see number
2
: a very large number
thousands of ants
thousand adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on thousand

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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