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• ten
  ten

  noun

  a cardinal number, nine plus one.
• ten.
  ten.

  abbreviation

  tenor.
• ten-
  ten-

  combining form

  a variant of teno-

ten

¹ American  

[ten] / tɛn /

noun

tens plural

1. a cardinal number, nine plus one.

2. a symbol for this number, as 10 or X.

3. a set of this many persons or things.

4. a playing card with ten pips.

5. Informal. a ten-dollar bill.

   She had two tens and a five in her purse.

6. Also called ten's place.  Mathematics.

   1. (in a mixed number) the position of the second digit to the left of the decimal point.

   2. (in a whole number) the position of the second digit from the right.

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adjective

1. amounting to ten in number.

idioms

1. take ten, to rest from what one is doing, especially for ten minutes.

ten. ² American  

abbreviation

1. tenor.

2. Music. tenuto.

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ten ¹ British  

/ tɛn /

noun

1. the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one. It is the base of the decimal number system and the base of the common logarithm See also number

2. a numeral, 10, X, etc, representing this number

3. something representing, represented by, or consisting of ten units, such as a playing card with ten symbols on it

4. Also called: ten o'clock.  ten hours after noon or midnight

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determiner

1. 1. amounting to ten

      ten tigers

   2. ( as pronoun )

      to sell only ten

ten- ² British  

combining form

1. a variant of teno-

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ten More Idioms  

1. see count to ten; not touch with a ten-foot pole.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• tens
  plural

Etymology

Origin of ten

before 900; Middle English ten ( e ), tenn ( e ), Old English tēn ( e ), tīen ( e ); cognate with Dutch tien, German zehn, Old Norse tīu, Gothic taihun, Latin decem, Greek déka, Sanskrit daśa

Example Sentences

Music by TEN was showcased on BBC 1Xtra. who were unaware of his real identity at the time of broadcast.

From BBC • Jan. 17, 2026

The @CIFState Boys Division II race finish as Hueneme’s J. R. Lesher mines gold and Jesuit becomes the first school in history to win TEN boys state team championships!

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 30, 2024

"The last remaining change is the high pressure turbine blade on the TEN variant, which frustratingly is delayed, so it is going to be the middle of next year," he said.

From Reuters • Jul. 7, 2022

Bernie Sanders sat down with rapper Cardi B at the TEN Nail Bar in Detroit to discuss some of the major political issues facing Americans.

From Slate • Aug. 15, 2019

When the voice drawled TEN I was lifted up and dragged to a chair.

From "Invisible Man" by Ralph Ellison