thousand

thousand
thousand O.E. þusend, from P.Gmc. *thusundi (Cf. O.Fris. thusend, Du. duizend, O.H.G. dusunt, Ger. tausend, O.N. þusund, Goth. þusundi); related to words in Balto-Slavic (Cf. Lith. tukstantis, O.C.S. tysashta, Pol. tysiД…c, Czech tisic), and probably ultimately a compound with indefinite meaning "several hundred" or "a great multitude" (with first element perhaps related to Skt. tawas "strong, force"). Used to translate Gk. khilias, L. mille, hence the refinement into the precise modern meaning. There was no general IE word for "thousand." Slang shortening thou first recorded 1867. Thousand island dressing (1916) is presumably named for the region of New York on the St. Lawrence River.

Etymology dictionary. 2014.

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  • thousand — UK US /ˈθaʊzənd/ noun [C] (plural thousand, or thousands) ► the number 1,000: »They paid three hundred thousand for the house. »Thirty thousand dollars a year doesn t really go very far in the modern world. »Two thousand workers are being made… …   Financial and business terms

  • Thousand — Thou sand, n. [OE. [thorn]ousend, [thorn]usend, AS. [thorn][=u]send; akin to OS. th[=u]sundig, th[=u]sind, OFries. thusend, D. duizend, G. tausend, OHG. t[=u]sunt, d[=u]sunt, Icel. [thorn][=u]sund, [thorn][=u]shund, Sw. tusen, Dan. tusind, Goth.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Thousand — Thou sand, a. 1. Consisting of ten hundred; being ten times one hundred. [1913 Webster] 2. Hence, consisting of a great number indefinitely. Perplexed with a thousand cares. Shak. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • thousand — ► CARDINAL NUMBER 1) (a/one thousand) the number equivalent to the product of a hundred and ten; 1,000. (Roman numeral: m or M.) 2) (thousands) informal an unspecified large number. DERIVATIVES thousandfold adjective & adverb …   English terms dictionary

  • thousand — [thou′zənd] n. [ME thusend < OE, akin to Ger tausend < PGmc * thus hundi, “many hundred” < IE base * tēu , to swell, increase + PGmc * hund , HUNDRED] 1. ten hundred; 1,000; M 2. an indefinite but very large number: a hyperbolic use adj …   English World dictionary

  • thousand — thou|sand [ˈθauzənd] number plural thousand or thousands [: Old English; Origin: thusend] 1.) the number 1000 ▪ a journey of almost a thousand miles two/three/four etc thousand ▪ five thousand dollars ▪ The company employs 30 thousand people …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • thousand — /thow zeuhnd/, n., pl. thousands, (as after a numeral) thousand, adj. n. 1. a cardinal number, 10 times 100. 2. a symbol for this number, as 1000 or M. 3. thousands. the numbers between 1000 and 999,999, as in referring to an amount of money:… …   Universalium

  • thousand — [[t]θa͟ʊz(ə)nd[/t]] ♦ thousands (The plural form is thousand after a number, or after a word or expression referring to a number, such as several or a few .) 1) NUM: usu a/num NUM A thousand or one thousand is the number 1,000. ...five thousand… …   English dictionary

  • thousand */*/ — UK [ˈθaʊz(ə)nd] / US number Get it right: thousand: After a number, or after several or a few, use the singular form thousand: Wrong: There are about fourteen thousands airports all over the world. Right: There are about fourteen thousand… …   English dictionary

  • thousand — /ˈθaʊzənd / (say thowzuhnd) noun (plural thousands, as after a numeral, thousand) 1. a cardinal number, ten times one hundred. 2. a symbol for this number, as 1000 or M. 3. (plural) a great number or amount. –adjective 4. amounting to one… …  

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