a concept of quantity involving zero and units
"every number has a unique position in the sequence"
the number is used in calling a particular telephone
"he has an unlisted number"
a numeral or string of numerals that is used for identification and may be attached to accounts, memberships, etc.
"she refused to give them her Social Security number"
a numbered item in a series
"take the number 2 to the main square, then change to the number 5"
the grammatical category for the forms of nouns and pronouns and verbs that are used depending on the number of entities involved (singular or dual or plural)
"in English the subject and the verb must agree in number"
an item of clothing
"she preferred the black nylon number"
"this sweater is an all-wool number"
An abstract entity used to describe quantity.
"She realized that her favorite number was not just a random sequence of digits but an abstract symbol representing how many stars she had collected over the years."
In plain English: A number is a symbol used to represent a specific quantity or value.
"She wrote her lucky number on the lottery ticket."
Usage: Use "number" to refer to a specific digit or an integer within a sequence, such as counting items or citing a phone code. Do not use it as a general synonym for "quantity," which should instead be described using words like "amount" or "count."
To label (items) with numbers; to assign numbers to (items).
"The librarian spent the afternoon numbering every book in the new section so they could be easily located on the shelves."
In plain English: To number something means to give it a specific count or assign it a number in a sequence.
"The company numbers its employees from one to five hundred."
Usage: Use number as a verb when you are assigning specific digits to items in a sequence or list, such as numbering the pages of a document. Do not use it for counting quantities or estimating totals, as those actions require different verbs like count or estimate.
comparative form of numb: more numb
"After sitting on the frozen bench for an hour, my fingers felt even more numb than they had before the cold set in."
In plain English: When something is described as a number, it means it can be counted or measured using digits.
"The number one player on the team is known for his speed."
Usage: Do not use "number" as an adjective to mean "more numb"; that is a grammatical error because the word has no comparative form. Instead, describe increased lack of sensation by saying someone feels "more numb" or is "numblier."
The word "number" entered English from Old French and Latin, where it originally meant a count or quantity derived from the ancient root for "to divide." It eventually replaced earlier Middle English terms like "ȝetæl" to become the standard word we use today.