number
/ˈnʌmbər/a mathematical value representing a quantity or position in a sequence
She dialed the number 555-1234.
This refers to a phone number.
The number of attendees exceeded expectations.
This means the count of people was higher than anticipated.
Can refer to digits, counts, or positions in a sequence.
a single issue or edition of a magazine or newspaper
I subscribed to the latest number of the journal.
This refers to the most recent issue of the publication.
Common in British English for referring to magazine issues.
a person's phone number or address
Can you give me your number?
This is a request for someone's phone number.
Often used colloquially to mean phone number.
Collocations
Related Phrases
💡Pro Tip
Phone Number Usage
In informal contexts, 'number' often refers to a phone number, e.g., 'What's your number?' means 'What's your phone number?'
⚡Gold Rule
Mathematical vs. Count Usage
In math, 'number' can be abstract (e.g., 'prime number'), while in everyday language, it usually refers to counts (e.g., 'a number of people').
📖Word Origin
From Old French 'nombre', from Latin 'numerus', meaning 'a number, count'
📝Usage Notes
In mathematics, 'number' can refer to integers, fractions, or other numerical values. In everyday language, it often refers to counts or phone numbers.