six

[ siks ]

noun

1. a cardinal number, five plus one.
2. a symbol for this number, as 6 or VI.
3. a set of this many persons or things.
4. a playing card, die face, or half of a domino face with six pips.
5. Cricket. a hit in which the ball crosses the boundary line of the field without a bounce, counting six runs for the batsman. Compare boundary ( def 4 ).
6. an automobile powered by a six-cylinder engine.
7. a six-cylinder engine.
8. Slang.
   1. the area directly behind a person; back:

      Check your six—there's a hottie approaching.

   2. the area directly behind a person in motion; tail:

      The pilot had an enemy plane on his six.

adjective

1. amounting to six in number.

Six

¹

/ sis /

noun

1. Les Six
   a group of six young composers in France, who from about 1916 formed a temporary association as a result of interest in neoclassicism and in the music of Satie and the poetry of Cocteau. Its members were Darius Milhaud, Arthur Honegger, Francis Poulenc, Georges Auric, Louis Durey, and Germaine Tailleferre

six

²

/ sɪks /

noun

1. the cardinal number that is the sum of five and one See also number
2. a numeral, 6, VI, etc, representing this number
3. something representing, represented by, or consisting of six units, such as a playing card with six symbols on it
4. Also calledsix o'clock six hours after noon or midnight
5. Also calledsixer cricket
   1. a stroke in which the ball crosses the boundary without bouncing
   2. the six runs scored for such a stroke
6. a division of a Brownie Guide or Cub Scout pack
7. at sixes and sevens
   1. in disagreement
   2. in a state of confusion
8. knock someone for six informal.
   to upset or overwhelm someone completely; stun
9. six of one and half a dozen of the other or six and two threes
   a situation in which the alternatives are considered equivalent

determiner

1. 1. amounting to six

      six nations

   2. ( as pronoun )

      set the table for six

Word History and Origins

Origin of six¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English six, sex, Old English siex, syx, seox, sex; cognate with Dutch zes, Low German ses, German sechs, Old Norse sex, Gothic saihs, Latin sex, Greek héx Sanskrit ṣaṭ-

Word History and Origins

Origin of six¹

Old English siex; related to Old Norse sex, Gothic saihs, Old High German sehs, Latin sex, Greek hex, Sanskrit sastha

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. at sixes and sevens,
   1. in disorder or confusion.
   2. in disagreement or dispute.
2. get / have someone’s six, Slang. back ¹( def 54 ).
3. watch one’s six, Slang. back ¹( def 62 ).

More idioms and phrases containing six

• at sixes and sevens
• deep six
• Joe six-pack

Example Sentences

They ended up spending about $550 to create the six large arrangements that would line the wedding aisle and were later moved to the reception dinner table, “but they only used about $350 worth of the flowers,” Sarah Marriott, Emily’s sister and maid of honor, reported the following week, after the wedding couple had left for their honeymoon.

From Los Angeles Times

The six large floral arrangements that Emily Marriott made for her small wedding after shopping at the Original Los Angeles Flower Market the day before.

From Los Angeles Times

Marriott was quoted a price of $250 each for six arrangements from a florist; instead, she spent $550 on several dozen white ranunculus, sweet peas, lisianthus, Queen Anne’s lace, spray roses and large roses.

From Los Angeles Times

Official state statistics showed that in the first six months of implementation, 17,000 Arkansans had lost their Medicaid eligibility.

From Los Angeles Times

For six hours a day, up to four days a week, Murray worked his way through country western, hip-hop and jazz.

From Los Angeles Times