number
num·ber [number numbers numbered numbering] noun, verb BrE [ˈnʌmbə(r)] NAmE [ˈnʌmbər]
noun
WORD/SYMBOL
1. countable a word or symbol that represents an amount or a quantity
Syn: ↑figure
• Think of a number and multiply it by two.
•a high/low number
•even numbers (= 2, 4, 6, etc.)
•odd numbers (= 1, 3, 5, etc.)
• You owe me 27 dollars? Make it 30, that's a good round number.
see also ↑cardinal number, ↑ordinal, ↑prime number, ↑whole number
POSITION IN SERIES
2. countable (abbr.No.) (symb. #)used before a figure to show the position of sth in a series
• They live at number 26.
• The song reached number 5 in the charts.
TELEPHONE, ETC.
3. countable (often in compounds)a number used to identify sth or communicate by telephone, ↑fax, etc
• My phone number is 266998.
• I'm sorry, I think you have the wrong number (= wrong telephone number).
•He dialled the number, then changed his mind and hung up.
•What is your account number, please?
see also ↑box number, ↑E-number, ↑PIN, ↑registration number, ↑serial number
QUANTITY
4. countable ~ (of sb/sth) a quantity of people or things
• A large number of people have applied for the job.
• The number of homeless people has increased dramatically.
•Huge numbers of (= very many) animals have died.
•A number of (= some) problems have arisen.
•I could give you any number of (= a lot of) reasons for not going.
•We were eight in number (= there were eight of us).
•Nurses are leaving the profession in increasing numbers.
•Sheer weight of numbers (= the large number of soldiers) secured them the victory.
•The course will have to be repeated owing to pressure of numbers (= too many students).
•staff/student numbers A plural verb is needed after a/an (large, small, etc.) number of…
GROUP OF PEOPLE
5. singular (formal)a group or quantity of people
•one of our number (= one of us)
•The prime minister is elected by MPs from among their number.
MAGAZINE
6. countable (BrE)the version of a magazine, etc. published on a particular day, in a particular month, etc.
Syn: ↑issue
•the October number of ‘Vogue’
see also ↑back number
SONG/DANCE
7. countable a song or dance, especially one of several in a performance
•They sang a slow romantic number.
THING ADMIRED
8. singular (informal) (following one or more adjectives)a thing, such as a dress or a car, that is admired
•She was wearing a black velvet number.
GRAMMAR
9. uncountable the form of a word, showing whether one or more than one person or thing is being talked about
•The word ‘men’ is plural in number.
•The subject of a sentence and its verb must agree in number.
more at a cushy number at ↑cushy, your opposite number at ↑opposite adj., there's safety in numbers at ↑safety, weight of numbers at ↑weight n.
Word Origin:
Middle English: from Old French nombre (noun), nombrer (verb), from Latin numerus.
Thesaurus:
number noun
1. C
•Think of a number and multiply it by two.
figure •
a high/low/round number/figure
exact/approximate numbers/figures
add/multiply/subtract/divide numbers/figures
2. C
•He lives at number 12.
figure • • digit •
a binary/decimal number/figure/digit
bear/be marked with/have a number/figure
a sequence/series/set/string of numbers/figures/digits
3. C
•Huge numbers of animals have died.
amount • • quantity • • volume • • sum •
the number/amount/quantity/volume of sth
a/an number/amount/quantity of sth
a number/quantity of people/things
a/an amount/quantity/volume of information
an amount/a sum of money
Number, amount or quantity? Number is used with plural countable nouns; amount is usually used with uncountable nouns
•a number of books/dogs/people
• a large amount of time/money/information
Quantity can be used with both countable and uncountable nouns and is slightly more formal.
Example Bank:
•Add all the numbers together, divide by ten, and take away the number you first thought of.
•Add all the numbers together, divide by ten, and then take away twelve.
•Anna counted the number of men standing around outside.
•Conference organizers put the number of attendees at around 500.
•Factories had increased in number between the wars.
•Houses on this side of the road have even numbers.
•I keep getting the wrong number.
•Many people have died in the epidemic— the precise number is not known.
•Many people think 13 is an unlucky number.
•Shark numbers have dwindled as a result of hunting.
•The Pentagon increased the number of troops in Iraq to about 145 000.
•The candidates received an equal number of votes.
•The decline in numbers of young people means that fewer teachers will be needed.
•The paintings, twelve in number, are over 200 years old.
•There are an infinite number of solutions to the problem.
•There were about 150 there, in round numbers.
•There's more to accountancy than just number crunching.
•There's more to an accountant's job than just number crunching.
•They exchanged numbers and agreed to go out for a drink one evening.
•We live at number 21.
•We've had a fair number of complaints about the new phone system.
•Wild dogs are now few in number.
•a record number of enquiries
•back numbers of the magazine
•high numbers of unemployed teachers
•the number of children who wear glasses
•the winning numbers in tonight's lottery
•‘So you owe me 28 dollars?’ ‘Make it 30, that's a good round number.’
•A number of people were late for the meeting.
•A number of problems have arisen.
•He dialled the number, then changed his mind and hung up.
•Huge numbers of animals have died.
•I could give you any number of reasons for not going.
•I'm sorry, I think you have the wrong number.
•Pick out all the odd numbers.
•Sheer weight of numbers secured them the victory.
•Student numbers are growing annually.
•That's quite a high number— think of a lower one.
•The back numbers of ‘The Times’ were kept in a basement.
•The classes will have to be repeated owing to pressure of numbers.
•Think of a number and multiply it by two
•We were eight in number.
•What is your social security number, please?
Idioms: ↑by numbers ▪ ↑by the numbers ▪ ↑have somebody's number ▪ ↑numbers game ▪ ↑your number is up
verb
MAKE A SERIES
1. transitive to give a number to sth as part of a series or list
•~ sth All the seats in the stadium are numbered.
•I couldn't work out the numbering system for the hotel rooms.
•~ sth from… to… Number the car's features from 1 to 10 according to importance.
•~ sth + noun The doors were numbered 2, 4, 6 and 8.
MAKE STH AS TOTAL
2. intransitive + noun to make a particular number when added together
Syn: ↑add up to something
•The crowd numbered more than a thousand.
•We numbered 20 (= there were 20 of us in the group).
INCLUDE
3. transitive, intransitive (formal)to include sb/sth in a particular group; to be included in a particular group
•~ sb/sth among sth I number her among my closest friends.
•~ among sth He numbers among the best classical actors in Britain.
see sb's/sth's days are numbered at ↑day
Verb forms: 
Word Origin:
Middle English: from Old French nombre (noun), nombrer (verb), from Latin numerus.
Example Bank:
•Each key is clearly numbered by room.
•Each pigeon hole is clearly numbered by floor and by room.
•We numbered 20.
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