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. Also: nine o'clock. nine hours after noon or midnight

   the play starts at nine

5. informal,  elaborately dressed

6. (in Britain) the telephone number of the emergency services

7. normal office hours

   he works nine to five

   a nine-to-five job

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.

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

Example Sentences

However, through analysis of satellite imagery, BBC Verify was able to identify nine buildings and structures that were washed away in the disaster.

From BBC

Valencia had a final chance to win the game, driving inside the Bishop Amat 15-yard line with nine seconds to play.

From Los Angeles Times

The nine boys of Troop 26 set off on Aug. 2 for a six-night trek through the high Sierra north of Yosemite.

From Los Angeles Times

A man who helped stoke a fire outside a hotel housing asylum seekers has been jailed for nine years.

From BBC

The Angels lost nine straight again from Sept. 13-23 to fall two games behind the Seattle Mariners.

From Los Angeles Times