- number
- {{Roman}}I.{{/Roman}} noun1 symbol/wordADJECTIVE▪ three-digit, 16-digit▪ cardinal, ordinal▪ even, odd▪
Houses on this side of the road have even numbers.
▪ binary, decimal▪ complex, imaginary, irrational, prime, rational, real, whole (mathematics)▪ negative, positive▪ random▪ lucky, unlucky▪Many people think 13 is an unlucky number.
▪ winning▪the winning numbers in tonight's lottery
▪ correct, rightVERB + NUMBER▪ calculate▪ add, add together, divide, multiply, subtract, take away▪Add all the numbers together, divide by ten, and then take away twelve.
▪ double, triple▪ crunch▪ enter, write, write down▪ pick, think ofPHRASES▪ in round numbers (esp. BrE)▪There were about 150 there, in round numbers.
▪ number crunching (= doing calculations)▪There's more to an accountant's job than just number crunching.
2 quantity/amountADJECTIVE▪ big, high▪high numbers of unemployed teachers
▪ low▪ considerable, good, great, high, large, substantial, unlimited▪ enormous, huge, impressive, incredible, inordinate, overwhelming, staggering, unprecedented, vast▪ alarming▪ sheer▪ record▪a record number of responses
▪ disproportionate, surprising▪ fair, reasonable, significant▪We've had a fair number of complaints about the new phone system.
▪ finite, infinite▪There are an infinite number of solutions to the problem.
▪ equal▪The candidates received an equal number of votes.
▪ maximum, minimum▪ average, mean, median▪ adequate, sufficient▪ insufficient▪ limited, low, modest, small, tiny▪ growing, increasing, rising▪ increased▪ reduced▪ declining▪ actual, exact, precise▪Many people have died in the epidemic—the precise number is not known.
▪ certain▪ indefinite, unspecified▪ unknown▪ approximate▪ fixed, set▪ final, overall, total▪ expected▪ real, true▪ poll (AmE)VERB + NUMBER▪ grow in, increase in▪Factories had increased in number between the wars.
▪ decrease in, reduce in▪ increase▪The Pentagon increased the number of troops in Iraq to about 145 000.
▪ double▪ cut, decrease, reduce▪ control, limit, restrict▪ calculate, count, determine, estimate, measure, record▪Anna counted the number of men standing around outside.
NUMBER + VERB▪ go up, grow, increase, jump, rise▪ double▪ decline, diminish, drop, dwindle, fall, fall off▪Shark numbers have dwindled as a result of hunting.
▪Customer numbers have fallen off in the last year.
▪ varyPREPOSITION▪ in number▪The paintings, twelve in number, are over 200 years old.
▪ number of▪the number of children who wear glasses
PHRASES▪ a decline in numbers, a drop in numbers▪The decline in numbers of young people means that fewer teachers will be needed.
▪ a growth in numbers, an increase in numbers▪ few in number, limited in number, small in number▪Wild dogs are now few in number.
▪ put the number (of sth) at sth▪Conference organizers put the number of attendees at around 500.
3 for identifying sb/sthADJECTIVE▪ model, serial▪ account, credit-card, membership, passport, PIN, reservation, social-security▪ ID, identification, identity▪ license (AmE), license plate (AmE), registration (BrE) (= of a car)▪ flight▪ page▪ apartment (esp. AmE), flat (BrE), house, roomVERB + NUMBER▪ assign sth, give sthPREPOSITION▪ at number▪We live at number 21.
4 telephone, etc.ADJECTIVE▪ fax, phone, telephone▪ home, office, work▪ wrong▪I keep getting the wrong number.
▪ Freephone (BrE), toll-free (AmE)▪ daytime, evening▪ emergency▪ contactVERB + NUMBER▪ call, dial, phone (esp. BrE), ring (BrE)▪ get▪ give sbNUMBER + VERB▪ be busy (AmE), be engaged (BrE)▪ be unobtainable (BrE)PHRASES▪ exchange numbers▪They exchanged numbers and agreed to go out for a drink one evening.
▪ sb's name and number{{Roman}}II.{{/Roman}}verbADVERB▪ clearly▪ consecutively, sequentially▪ individuallyPREPOSITION▪ according to, by▪Each key is clearly numbered by room.
▪ from, to▪Number the car's features from 1 to 10 according to importance.
Number is used with these nouns as the subject: ↑workforce
Collocations dictionary. 2013.
