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sixteen

American  
[siks-teen] / ˈsɪksˈtin /

noun

  1. a cardinal number, ten plus six.

  2. a symbol for this number, as 16 or XVI.

  3. a set of this many persons or things.


adjective

  1. amounting to 16 in number.

sixteen British  
/ ˈsɪksˈtiːn /

noun

  1. the cardinal number that is the sum of ten and six See also number

  2. a numeral, 16, XVI, etc, representing this number

  3. music the numeral 16 used as the lower figure of a time signature to indicate that the beat is measured in semiquavers

  4. something represented by, representing, or consisting of 16 units

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

determiner

    1. amounting to sixteen

      sixteen tons

    2. ( as pronoun )

      sixteen are known to the police

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of sixteen

before 900; Middle English, Old English sixtēne; cognate with Dutch zestien, German sechzehn, Old Norse sextān. See six, -teen