ten

noun

ˈten 

plural tens

1

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

2

: the 10th in a set or series

wears a ten

3

: something having 10 units or members

4

: a 10-dollar bill

5

: one deserving the highest rating

specifically : an exceptionally attractive person

ten adjective

ten pronoun, plural in construction

see also take ten

Synonyms

• babe [slang]
• cutie
• cutey
• dish
• doll
• dreamboat [slang]
• fox
• glamour-puss
• hottie
• knockout
• looker
• showstopper

Examples of ten in a Sentence

“What time is it” “It's ten.”

promised me that she would fix me up with a ten

Recent Examples on the Web

As millions of voters have left the major parties in California, and tens of millions nationwide, the number of independent voters has more than doubled, going from 14% of the electorate twenty years ago to almost a quarter of the California electorate today. —Jeremy Gruber, The Mercury News, 6 Feb. 2025

Still, with tens of thousands of football fans from Philadelphia, Kansas City and elsewhere headed to the Big Easy, a significant law enforcement presence will be in New Orleans just in case. —Jason Morris, CNN, 6 Feb. 2025

The October 7 attacks led to the meaningless loss of tens of thousands of lives; the Strip has been razed and strewn with ordnance, and billions of dollars in aid money squandered, while Hamas proclaims divine victory for its resistance project. —Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, The Atlantic, 6 Feb. 2025

In recent years, the net worth of various members of Congress has been garnering more attention, especially those that have tens of millions of dollars in assets. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 6 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, going back to Old English tīen (West Saxon), tēn, going back to Germanic *tehun (whence also Old Frisian tiān, tiēn "ten," Old Saxon tehan, Old High German zehan, Old Norse tíu, Gothic taihun), going back to Indo-European *deḱm̥, whence also Old Irish deich "ten," Welsh deg, Latin decem, Old Church Slavic desętĭ, Lithuanian dẽšimt, Albanian dhjetë, Greek déka, Armenian tasn, Tocharian A śäk, Tocharian B śak, Avestan dasa, Sanskrit daśa

Note: The Slavic, Baltic, and perhaps Albanian forms are derived from the ordinal base *deḱm̥-t-.

First Known Use

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

Phrases Containing ten

• five-and-ten
• hang ten
• nine times out of ten
• not touch (someone or something) with a ten-foot pole
• take ten
• ten a penny
• ten-eighty
• ten-gallon hat
• ten out of ten
• ten-speed
• ten-strike
• ten to one

Kids Definition

ten

noun

ˈten 

1

: a number that is one more than nine see number

2

: the tenth in a set or series

the ten of hearts

3

: something having ten units or members

4

: a 10-dollar bill

ten adjective or pronoun

Medical Definition

TEN

abbreviation

toxic epidermal necrolysis