number
part of speech
noun (number, numbers; short form No., no., #); verb (number, numbers, numbered, numbering)
meaning for a pupil
1) A number tells how many or how much, like 3 or 12. tree →
2) A number is a written sign for an amount: the number 7. tree →
3) A number is used to name or find something: a phone number, a house number. tree →
4) «A number of» means some or several: a number of children. tree →
5) To number is to give numbers to things in order. tree →
6) A number is also a song or a piece of music in a show. tree →
7) (casual) «Number one» means yourself (look after number one) or a wee; «number two» is a polite way to say a poo; «do a number on someone» means hurt or trick them; «your number's up» means your luck has run out. tree →
8) (casual) «Get someone's number» means get their phone number. tree →
9) (formal) The exam voice says «quantity», «integer», «numeral», «figure», «cardinality», «magnitude», «value», «sum». tree →
sense in the lessons
an amount; «the number of groups» and «the size of one group» are the two numbers in multiplying; «subtract the smaller number from the bigger one»; in maths odd and even numbers, whole numbers, number line; in everyday life phone numbers, bus numbers, house numbers; in safety know your emergency number (911 in the USA and Canada, 999 or 112 in the UK and Ireland, 000 in Australia, 111 in New Zealand); in casual talk «number one», «number two», «what's your number?»; in the exam voice «integer», «quantity», «cardinality», «numeral»
examples
- We always subtract the smaller number from the bigger one. tree →
- Multiply the number of groups by the size of one group. tree →
- What number is 4 more than 9? tree →
- Write the numbers from 1 to 20. tree →
- 7 is an odd number; 8 is an even number. tree →
- Do you know your home phone number? tree →
- Number the pages of your book. tree →
- A number of children were late. tree →
- The choir sang three numbers at the concert. tree →
- whats ur number, i'll text u when we're there tree →
- Mum, I need a number two, where's the toilet? tree →
- State the integer which exceeds 9 by 4. tree →
- After them hopped in a number of squirrels. tree →
note
«the number of groups» and «the size of one group» are the two numbers in multiplying. «A number» is the amount; «a digit» is one sign (0 to 9) used to write it: 25 has two digits. «The number of children is» (singular), but «a number of children are» (plural). «A number of» means some, not an exact count. Short form «No.» or «#». «integer» in an exam is a whole number. A phone or bus number is a name, not an amount: never add phone numbers. Emergency numbers: 911 in the USA and Canada, 999 or 112 in the UK and Ireland, 000 in Australia, 111 in New Zealand.
In the corpora
- It moves as numbers when a card is tapped, a bill goes out or pay comes in.
- A PIN is the secret number that proves the card is yours.
- Hospitals limit visiting hours and the number of visitors so patients can rest and doctors and nurses can work.
- «That Mr Hollis has parked in Number 9's space AGAIN.
- Stories grow because people fill gaps with guesses, round numbers up, and add a twist that makes the tale better to tell.
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «number» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.