The number four.
A number that is reached by multiplying 2 by 2, is an example of four.
Origin of fourMiddle English from Old English feower, akin to German vier, Gothic fidw?r from Indo-European base an unverified form kwetwor- from source Classical Latin quattuor, Welsh pedwar
- the cardinal number between three and five; 4; IV
- any group of four people or things
- something numbered four or having four units, as a playing card, face of a die, etc.
on all fours
- on all four feet
- on hands and knees (or feet)
- exactly equatable (with)
- The cardinal number equal to 3 + 1.
- The fourth in a set or sequence.
- Something having four parts, units, or members, such as a musical quartet or a four-cylinder engine.
Origin of fourMiddle English from Old English fēower ; see kwetwer- in Indo-European roots.
(countable and uncountable, plural fours)
- (countable) The digit or figure 4; an occurrence thereof.
- (countable) Anything measuring four units, as length.
- Do you have any more fours? I want to make this a little taller.
- A person who is four years old.
- I'll take the threes, fours and fives and go to the playground.
- (cricket, countable) An event whereby a batsman hits a ball which bounces on the ground before passing over a boundary in the air, resulting in an award of 4 runs for the batting team. If the ball does not bounce before passing over the boundary, a six is awarded instead.
- (rowing) Quadruple sculls.
Middle English fower, from Old English fēower, from Proto-Germanic *fedwōr, from previous pre-Grimm Proto-Germanic *petwṓr, from Proto-Indo-European *kʷetwṓr, the neuter form of Proto-Indo-European *kʷetwóres. Cognate with German vier, Gothic (fidw), Ancient Greek τέσσαρες (tessares), Latin quattuor (French quatre, Portuguese quatro), Old Norse fjórir (Danish fire), Russian четыре (četýre), Sanskrit चतुर् (catur).