Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Four times twenty; eighty.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Four times twenty; eighty.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Four times twenty; eighty.
  • noun The product of four times twenty; eighty units or objects.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun Eighty.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective being ten more than seventy
  • noun the cardinal number that is the product of ten and eight

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From four +‎ score.

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Examples

  • Then she took reckoning of the dead and found that he had slain fourscore of the Knights, and other twenty had taken to flight. 202 When she saw what work he had made with them she said to him, Allah bless thee, O Sharrkan!

    The Book of The Thousand Nights And A Night 2006

  • 156 Within fourscore years after the death of Christ, 157 the humane Pliny laments the magnitude of the evil which he vainly attempted to eradicate.

    The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire 1206

  • At last one Mr. Wood a mean ordinary man, a hard-ware dealer, procured a patent under his Majesty's Broad Seal to coin fourscore and ten thousand pounds in copper for this kingdom, which patent however did not oblige any one here to take them, unless they pleased.

    Political Pamphlets George Saintsbury 1889

  • But the idea of fourscore years past in hostility against God, but the idea of a thousand crimes starting into light, and calling for vengeance; by their number and their atrocity exciting a fearful looking for of judgment — this, this presents a just ground of terror and aston - ishment.

    Sermons translated from the original French of the late Rev. James Saurin, pastor of the French church at the Hague Sutcliffe, Joseph, 1762-1856, tr 1812

  • The proverbial "threescore years and ten" was an old story with him, and even the "fourscore" awarded to the strong was receding into the distance.

    Boycotted And Other Stories Talbot Baines Reed 1872

  • When fourscore years have bronz'd their mummied face,

    The Age Reviewed 2010

  • The guards in the towers stared in disbelief at the sight of fourscore Gauntlet Knights pounding toward them.

    The Gauntlet Thrown Chapter Thirty Seven xcpublishing 2009

  • To talk over Hills and dales at fourscore miles distance!

    Letter 78 2009

  • The old cottage sold to Robert had been in the family near fourscore years.

    Letter 413 2009

  • So I'll see your "fourscore and seven years ago", and raise you a "girlfriend in a coma, I know I know it's serious"?

    Archive 2008-02-01 2008

Comments

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  • Seen on xkcd.

    There must be a list for this dainty disyllable (and its brothers and sisters) so I can take it off “Underwordied�?.

    September 23, 2009