ten

¹

[ten]

noun

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.

adjective

1. amounting to ten in number.

ten.

²

abbreviation

1. tenor.

2. Music.,  tenuto.

ten

¹

/ 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

determiner

1. 1. amounting to ten

      ten tigers

   2. ( as pronoun )

      to sell only ten

ten-

²

combining form

1. a variant of teno-

Word History and Origins

Origin of ten¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of ten¹

Old English tēn; related to Old Saxon tehan, Old High German zehan, Gothic taihun, Latin decem, Greek deka, Sanskrit dasa

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

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

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

Example Sentences

"It's affordable and adaptable and we can deliver it in ten years. That's never been done before. The future for Rosyth looks really good."

From BBC

Airlines operating in the Baltic region have reported tens of thousands of GPS jamming incidents in the past few years.

From BBC

Prosecutors are seeking tens of millions of dollars in damages from Edison, alleging the company’s negligence caused both fires.

From Los Angeles Times

The city’s budget team pushed for the facility to be emblazoned with digital billboards, which would produce tens of millions in ad revenue.

From Los Angeles Times

The task ahead is daunting - tens of thousands of homes are likely to need repairs.

From BBC