From WordNet (r) 2.0 (August 2003) [wn]:
number
n 1: the property possessed by a sum or total or indefinite
quantity of units or individuals; "he had a number of
chores to do"; "the number of parameters is small"; "the
figure was about a thousand" [syn: figure]
2: a concept of quantity derived from zero and units; "every
number has a unique position in the sequence"
3: a short theatrical performance that is part of a longer
program; "he did his act three times every evening"; "she
had a catchy little routine"; "it was one of the best
numbers he ever did" [syn: act, routine, turn,
bit]
4: a numeral or string of numerals that is used for
identification; "she refused to give them her Social
Security number" [syn: identification number]
5: the number is used in calling a particular telephone; "he
has an unlisted number" [syn: phone number, {telephone
number}]
6: a symbol used to represent a number; "he learned to write
the numerals before he went to school" [syn: numeral]
7: one of a series published periodically; "she found an old
issue of the magazine in her dentist's waitingroom" [syn:
issue]
8: a select company of people; "I hope to become one of their
number before I die"
9: the grammatical category for the forms of nouns and pronouns
and verbs that are used depending on the number of
entities involved (singular or dual or plural); "in
English the subject and the verb must agree in number"
10: an item of merchandise offered for sale; "she preferred the
black nylon number"; "this sweater is an all-wool number"
11: a clothing measurement; "a number 13 shoe"
v 1: add up in number or quantity; "The bills amounted to
$2,000"; "The bill came to $2,000" [syn: total, {add
up}, come, amount]
2: give numbers to; "You should number the pages of the thesis"
3: enumerate; "We must number the names of the great
mathematicians" [syn: list]
4: put into a group; "The academy counts several Nobel Prize
winners among its members" [syn: count]
5: determine the number or amount of; "Can you count the books
on your shelf?"; "Count your change" [syn: count,
enumerate, numerate]
6: place a limit on the number of [syn: keep down]
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Number \Num"ber\ (n[u^]m"b[~e]r), n. [OE. nombre, F. nombre, L.
numerus; akin to Gr. no`mos that which is dealt out, fr.
ne`mein to deal out, distribute. See Numb, Nomad, and cf.
Numerate, Numero, Numerous.]
1. That which admits of being counted or reckoned; a unit, or
an aggregate of units; a numerable aggregate or collection
of individuals; an assemblage made up of distinct things
expressible by figures.
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2. A collection of many individuals; a numerous assemblage; a
multitude; many.
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Ladies are always of great use to the party they
espouse, and never fail to win over numbers.
--Addison.
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3. A numeral; a word or character denoting a number; as, to
put a number on a door.
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4. Numerousness; multitude.
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Number itself importeth not much in armies where the
people are of weak courage. --Bacon.
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5. The state or quality of being numerable or countable.
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Of whom came nations, tribes, people, and kindreds
out of number. --2 Esdras
iii. 7.
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6. Quantity, regarded as made up of an aggregate of separate
things.
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7. That which is regulated by count; poetic measure, as
divisions of time or number of syllables; hence, poetry,
verse; -- chiefly used in the plural.
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I lisped in numbers, for the numbers came. --Pope.
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8. (Gram.) The distinction of objects, as one, or more than
one (in some languages, as one, or two, or more than two),
expressed (usually) by a difference in the form of a word;
thus, the singular number and the plural number are the
names of the forms of a word indicating the objects
denoted or referred to by the word as one, or as more than
one.
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9. (Math.) The measure of the relation between quantities or
things of the same kind; that abstract species of quantity
which is capable of being expressed by figures; numerical
value.
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Abstract number, Abundant number, Cardinal number, etc.
See under Abstract, Abundant, etc.
In numbers, in numbered parts; as, a book published in
numbers.
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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Number \Num"ber\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Numbered
(n[u^]m"b[~e]rd); p. pr & vb. n. Numbering.] [OE. nombren,
noumbren, F. nombrer, fr. L. numerare, numeratum. See
Number, n.]
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1. To count; to reckon; to ascertain the units of; to
enumerate.
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If a man can number the dust of the earth, then
shall thy seed also be numbered. --Gen. xiii.
16.
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2. To reckon as one of a collection or multitude.
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He was numbered with the transgressors. --Is. liii.
12.
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3. To give or apply a number or numbers to; to assign the
place of in a series by order of number; to designate the
place of by a number or numeral; as, to number the houses
in a street, or the apartments in a building.
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4. To amount; to equal in number; to contain; to consist of;
as, the army numbers fifty thousand.
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Thy tears can not number the dead. --Campbell.
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Numbering machine, a machine for printing consecutive
numbers, as on railway tickets, bank bills, etc.
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Syn: To count; enumerate; calculate; tell.
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