Ten

UK: /ˈtɛn/ US: /tɛn/ ,(ten)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

ten /tɛn/   n. [countable]

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. Informal Terms a ten-dollar bill.
5. Mathematics Also called ˈten's ˈplace. 
   • (in a mixed number) the position of the second digit to the left of the decimal point.
   • (in a whole number) the position of the second digit from the right.

adj. 

6. amounting to ten in number.

-ten-, root. 

1. -ten- comes from Latin, where it has the meaning "hold.'' This meaning is found in such words as: abstinence, content, continent, countenance, impertinent, incontinent, lieutenant, pertinent, retentive, sustenance, tenable, tenacious, tenant, untenable. See -tain-.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

ten  (ten), n. 

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. Games a playing card with ten pips.
5. [Informal.] a ten-dollar bill:
   She had two tens and a five in her purse.
6. Mathematics Also called ten's place. 
   • (in a mixed number) the position of the second digit to the left of the decimal point.
   • (in a whole number) the position of the second digit from the right.
7. take ten, [Informal.] to rest from what one is doing, esp. for ten minutes.

adj. 

8. amounting to ten in number.

• bef. 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

10, 

1. the upper end of a rating scale, with 10 indicating the best or a perfect score:
   That new novel is wonderful—I'd rate it a 10.

ten., 

1. tenor.
2. [Music.] tenuto.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

ten / 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 number1
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. amounting to ten

Related adjective(s): decimal

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

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

ten- combining_form

1. a variant of teno-