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

In lieu of the trust, the Ninth Circuit held the appropriate remedy was for NCAA rules to allow colleges to offer college athletes up to the full cost of attendance, which for athletes at many colleges meant thousands of dollars more than their grant-in-aid. —Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 4 Apr. 2025

Since then, its team of incognito inspectors have checked into thousands of hotels, dined at just as many restaurants, and experienced scores of spa treatments to bring you information on the very best places to stay, eat and relax around the world. —Forbes Travel Guide, Forbes.com, 3 Apr. 2025

In a dramatic scene, thousands of police descended on his home and were met with crowds of the impeached president's backers, including some who lay down in front of police vehicles in an attempt to block authorities from reaching the residence. —Jack Moore, ABC News, 3 Apr. 2025

The storm caused baseball-sized hail to fall across Mississippi, Arkansas, and Tennessee, prompted delays at major airports from Chicago to Dallas and left hundreds of thousands of homes without power. —Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 3 Apr. 2025

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