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

Either way, tens of thousands of vehicles are now double- and triple-parked on the many of the city’s thoroughfares. —Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2024

Every year, public universities and private colleges located in the same regions as smaller companies produce thousands of graduates eager to start their careers. —Christine Y. Cruzvergara, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024

Both candidates visited the area, which is home to thousands of Latinos, including a sizable Puerto Rican population. —Darlene Superville, Twin Cities, 4 Nov. 2024

Ahead of it’s official release, the Grammy winner premiered the work to thousands of fans in his hometown at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif. —Demicia Inman, VIBE.com, 4 Nov. 2024

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