nine

[ nahyn ]

noun

1. a cardinal number, eight plus one.
2. a symbol for this number, as 9 or IX.
3. a set of this many persons or things.
4. a baseball team.
5. a playing card with nine pips.
6. the Nine, the Muses.

adjective

1. amounting to nine in number.

nine

/ naɪn /

noun

1. the cardinal number that is the sum of one and eight See also number
2. a numeral, 9, IX, etc, representing this number
3. something representing, represented by, or consisting of nine units, such as a playing card with nine symbols on it
4. Alsonine o'clock nine hours after noon or midnight

   the play starts at nine

5. dressed to the nines or dressed up to the nines informal.
   elaborately dressed
6. 999
   (in Britain) the telephone number of the emergency services
7. nine to five
   normal office hours

   a nine-to-five job

   he works nine to five

determiner

1. 1. amounting to nine

      nine days

   2. ( as pronoun )

      nine of the ten are ready

Word History and Origins

Origin of nine¹

before 900; Middle English; Old English nigan, nigon, cognate with Dutch negen, akin to German neun, Old Norse nīu, Gothic niun, Latin novem, Greek ennéa, Sanskrit náva

Word History and Origins

Origin of nine¹

Old English nigon; related to Gothic niun, Latin novem

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. dressed to the nines, looking one's best; dressed smartly, splendidly, etc.:

   All the girls were dressed to the nines for the party.

More idioms and phrases containing nine

see dressed to kill (to the nines) ; on cloud nine ; possession is nine points of the law ; whole nine yards .

Example Sentences

This was nine fewer than what he needed just two years ago when 426 members of the House voted.

From The Daily Beast

The Via Dolorosa ends at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, and is marked by nine stations of the cross.

From The Daily Beast

Denied parole nine straight times, he insists he is innocent of the crime for which he was convicted.

From The Daily Beast

If you answered nine or more, you may have won a SONY Betamax and an eight-track operating system.

From The Daily Beast

Nine new Republican senators will swear their oaths of office.

From The Daily Beast

In nine days he returned, bringing us the thanks of congress, and fresh orders.

From Project Gutenberg

Dinner occurred in the middle of the day, and about nine in the evening was an informal but copious supper.

From Project Gutenberg

He had been wont to do this on other occasions, because the enemy with nine ships was within sight of the fort.

From Project Gutenberg

His holy book says: There is more joy over one sinner that repenteth than over ninety and nine just men.

From Project Gutenberg

A small boy of three years and nine months on receiving from his nurse the familiar order, "Come here!"

From Project Gutenberg