Thousand

UK: /ˈθaʊz^ənd/ US: /ˈθaʊzənd/ ,(thou′zənd)

Inflections of 'thousand' (n):

thousands

npl (Used without preceding number––e.g. "There were thousands of people present.")

thousand

npl (Used after a number, e.g.––"There are three thousand of them.")

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

thou•sand /ˈθaʊzənd/   n., pl. -sands, (as after a numeral) -sand, adj. 
n. [countable]

1. a cardinal number, 10 times 100.
2. a symbol for this number, as 1000 or M.
3. a set of this many persons or things.
4. Mathematics thousands:
   • the numbers between 1000 and 999,999, as in referring to money.
   • a great number or amount:
     Thousands came to see him at his first concert.
5. Also called ˈthou•sand's ˌplace. 
   • Mathematics (in a mixed number) the position of the fourth digit to the left of the decimal point.
   • Mathematics (in a whole number) the position of the fourth digit from the right.

adj. 

6. amounting to 1000 in number.

thou•sandth, adj. 
Usage

See hundred.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

thou•sand  (thou′zənd), n., pl. -sands, (as after a numeral) -sand, adj. 
n. 

1. a cardinal number, 10 times 100.
2. a symbol for this number, as 1000 or M.
3. Mathematics thousands. the numbers between 1000 and 999,999, as in referring to an amount of money:
   Property damage was in the thousands.
4. a great number or amount.
5. Also, thou′sand's place′. 
   • Mathematics (in a mixed number) the position of the fourth digit to the left of the decimal point.
   • Mathematics (in a whole number) the position of the fourth digit from the right.

adj. 

6. amounting to 1000 in number.

• bef. 900; Middle English; Old English thūsend; cognate with Dutch duizend, Old High German dūsunt, Old Norse thūsund, Gothic thūsindi

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

thousand / ˈθaʊzənd/ noun

1. the cardinal number that is the product of 10 and 100
   See also number1
2. a numeral, 1000, 10³, M, etc, representing this number
3. (often plural) a very large but unspecified number, amount, or quantity
4. something represented by, representing, or consisting of 1000 units

determiner

1. amounting to a thousand
2. (as pronoun): a thousand is hardly enough

Related adjective(s): millenary

Etymology: Old English thūsend; related to Old Saxon thūsind, Old High German thūsunt, Old Norse thūsund