number

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. Mathematics A member of the set of positive integers; one of a series of symbols of unique meaning in a fixed order that can be derived by counting.
2. n. Mathematics A member of any of the further sets of mathematical objects, such as negative integers and real numbers.
3. n. Arithmetic.
4. n. A symbol or word used to represent a number.
5. n. A numeral or a series of numerals used for reference or identification: his telephone number; the apartment number.
6. n. A position in an ordered sequence that corresponds to one of the positive integers: the house that is number three from the corner; ranked number six in her class.
7. n. One item in a group or series considered to be in numerical order: an old number of a magazine.
8. n. A total; a sum: the number of feet in a mile.
9. n. An indefinite quantity of units or individuals: The crowd was small in number. A number of people complained.
10. n. A large quantity; a multitude: Numbers of people visited the fair.
11. n. Numerical superiority: The South had leaders, the North numbers.
12. n. Grammar The indication, as by inflection, of the singularity, duality, or plurality of a linguistic form.
13. n. Metrical feet or lines; verses: "These numbers will I tear, and write in prose” ( Shakespeare).
14. n. Obsolete Poetic meter.
15. n. Archaic Musical periods or measures.
16. n. Games A numbers game.
17. n. See Table at Bible.
18. n. One of the separate offerings in a program of music or other entertainment: The band's second number was a march.
19. n. Slang A frequently repeated, characteristic speech, argument, or performance: suspects doing their usual number—protesting innocence.
20. n. Slang A person or thing singled out for a particular characteristic: a crafty number.
21. v. To assign a number to.
22. v. To determine the number or amount of; count.
23. v. To total in number or amount; add up to.
24. v. To include in a group or category: He was numbered among the lost.
25. v. To mention one by one; enumerate.
26. v. To limit or restrict in number: Our days are numbered.
27. v. To call off numbers; count: numbering to ten.
28. v. To constitute a group or number: The applicants numbered in the thousands.
29. idiom. by the numbers In unison as numbers are called out by a leader: performing calisthenics by the numbers.
30. idiom. by the numbers In a strict, step-by-step or mechanical way.
31. idiom. do a number on Slang To defeat, abuse, or humiliate in a calculated and thorough way.
32. idiom. get To determine or know someone's real character or motives.
33. idiom. without Too many to be counted; countless: mosquitoes without number.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. That character of a collection or plurality by virtue of which, when the individuals constituting it are counted, the count ends at a certain point—that is, with a certain numeral; also, the point (or numeral) at which the count ends. See def. 3.
2. n. Quantity or amount considered as an aggregate of the individuals composing it; aggregate.
3. n. A numeral, or word used in counting: otherwise called a cardinal number: as, the number that comes after 4 is 5; also, in a wider sense, any numerical expression denoting a quantity, magnitude, or measure. Euclid does not consider one as a number, Ramus makes it the lowest number, and modern mathematicians treat not only 1, but also 0, as a number.
4. n. A written arithmetical figure or series of figures signifying a numeral.
5. n. A collection; a lot; a class.
6. n. A considerable collection; a large class.
7. n. The capacity of being counted: used especially in the hyperbolical phrase without number.
8. n. A numeral of a series affixed in regular order to a series of things: as, the number of a house in a street.
9. n. One of a series of things distinguished by consecutive numerals: used especially of serial publications.
10. n. The doctrine and properties of numerals and their relations.
11. n. Numerousness; the character of being a large collection: used in this sense both in the singular and in the plural.
12. n. In grammar, that distinctive form which a word assumes according as it is said of or expresses one individual or more than one. The form which denotes one or an individual is the singular number; the form that is set apart for two individuals (as in Greek and Sanskrit) is the dual number; while that which refers to more than two, or indifferently to two or more individuals or units, constitutes the plural number. Hence we say a noun, an adjective, a pronoun, or a verb is in the singular or the plural number.
13. n. In phrenology, one of the perceptive faculties, whose alleged organ is situated a little to the side of the outer angle of the eye, and whose function is to give a talent for calculation in general.
14. n. Metrical sound or utterance; measured or harmonic expression; rhythm.
15. n. plural A succession of metrical syllables; poetical measure; poetry; verse.
16. n. In music:
17. n. One of the principal sections or movements of an extended musical work, as of an oratorio. Usually the overture in such a case is not counted.
18. n. Same as opus-number.
19. n. The expression of a quantity in mixed denominations.
20. To count; reckon; ascertain the number of, or aggregate of individuals in; enumerate.
21. To make or keep a reckoning of; count up, as by naming or setting down one by one; make a tally or list of.
22. To complete as to number; limit; come to the end of.
23. To reckon as one of a collection or multitude; include in a list or class.
24. To put a number or numbers on; assign a distinctive number to; mark the order of, as of the members of a series; assign the place of in a numbered series: as, to number a row of houses, or a collection of books.
25. To possess to the number of.
26. To amount to; reach the number of: as, the force under the command of Cæsar numbered 45,000 men.
27. To equal in number.
28. Synonyms and To tell, calculate, reckon, call over, sum up.
29. n. A term used in the textile-industry to designate the size or fineness of yarn; the number of units of length contained in a given weight of the product. The length of yam required to produce the definite weight on which the numbering is based is called a hank, as with cotton, or, in case of flax or jute, a lay or lea. The fundamental rule, in the various systems of numbering yarn, is that the flner the yarn the higher shall be the number. The number, or titre, of true or reeled silk differs from that of all other yarns in being based on a constant length and variable weight. The higher the number, or titre, the coarser the yarn or thread. The number is expressed in deniers. According to the international (French) titre system, a denier is .05 gram, or .771 grain, for 500 meters. In the new Lyons titre system a denier is 1.2747 grams, or 19.66 grains, for 12,000 meters.
30. n. Same as complex number (which see, under complex).
31. n. A sign or symbol for a cardinal number; a sign 1, 2, 3, … or its name ‘one,’ ‘two,’ ‘three,’ …
32. n. The cardinal number of a finite set; that property of the set because of which we shall arrive at the same natural number in whatever order we count the set.

Wiktionary

1. adj. comparative form of numb: more numb
2. n. countable An abstract entity used to describe quantity.
3. n. countable A numeral: a symbol for a non-negative integer
4. n. countable, mathematics A member of one of several classes: natural numbers,integers, rational numbers, real numbers, complex numbers, quaternions.
5. n. Indicating the position of something in a list or sequence. Abbreviations: No or No., no or no. (in each case, sometimes written with a superscript "o", like Nº or №). The symbol "#" is also used in this manner.
6. n. Quantity.
7. n. grammar Of a word or phrase, the state of being singular, dual or plural, shown by inflection.
8. n. in the plural Poetic metres; verses, rhymes.
9. n. countable A performance; especially, a single song or song and dance routine within a larger show.
10. n. countable (informal) A person
11. n. countable (informal) An item of clothing, particularly a stylish one
12. n. countable (informal) A telephone number
13. n. A sequence of digits and letters used to register people, automobiles, and various other items.
14. n. slang A marijuana cigarette, or joint; also, a quantity of marijuana bought form a dealer.
15. v. transitive To label (items) with numbers; to assign numbers to (items).
16. v. intransitive To total or count; to amount to.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. That which admits of being counted or reckoned; a unit, or an aggregate of units; a numerable aggregate or collection of individuals; an assemblage made up of distinct things expressible by figures.
2. n. A collection of many individuals; a numerous assemblage; a multitude; many.
3. n. A numeral; a word or character denoting a number.
4. n. Numerousness; multitude.
5. n. The state or quality of being numerable or countable.
6. n. Quantity, regarded as made up of an aggregate of separate things.
7. n. That which is regulated by count; poetic measure, as divisions of time or number of syllables; hence, poetry, verse; -- chiefly used in the plural.
8. n. (Gram.) The distinction of objects, as one, or more than one (in some languages, as one, or two, or more than two), expressed (usually) by a difference in the form of word; thus, the singular number and the plural number are the names of the forms of a word indicating the objects denoted or referred to by the word as one, or as more than one.
9. n. (Math.) The measure of the relation between quantities or things of the same kind; that abstract species of quantity which is capable of being expressed by figures; numerical value.
10. v. To count; to reckon; to ascertain the units of; to enumerate.
11. v. To reckon as one of a collection or multitude.
12. v. To give or apply a number or numbers to; to assign the place of in a series by order of number; to designate the place of by a number or numeral.
13. v. To amount; to equal in number; to contain; to consist of.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. a short theatrical performance that is part of a longer program
2. n. a numeral or string of numerals that is used for identification
3. v. place a limit on the number of
4. v. give numbers to
5. n. the property possessed by a sum or total or indefinite quantity of units or individuals
6. n. the grammatical category for the forms of nouns and pronouns and verbs that are used depending on the number of entities involved (singular or dual or plural)
7. n. a concept of quantity involving zero and units
8. n. one of a series published periodically
9. v. put into a group
10. n. an item of merchandise offered for sale
11. v. determine the number or amount of
12. n. the number is used in calling a particular telephone
13. v. add up in number or quantity
14. n. a symbol used to represent a number
15. n. a clothing measurement
16. n. a select company of people
17. v. enumerate.