four Meaning & Definition
What Does Four Mean?
Four is a noun that means NATO & ICAO radiotelephony clear code (spelling-alphabet name) for the digit 4. As a numeral, it means A numerical value equal to 4; the number following three and preceding five. As a numeral, it means A numerical value equal to 4; the number after three and before five; two plus two. This many dots (••••).
Four: Key Facts
| Part of speech | noun, numeral |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /foɹ/ |
| Synonyms | cardinal, tetrad and quartet |
| Plural | fours |
Four Definition (Noun)
- NATO & ICAO radiotelephony clear code (spelling-alphabet name) for the digit 4.
Four as a Numeral
- A numerical value equal to 4; the number following three and preceding five.
There are four seasons: spring, summer, autumn and winter.
- Describing a set or group with four elements.
Noun
- The digit or figure 4; an occurrence thereof.
- Anything measuring four units, as length.
Do you have any more fours? I want to make this a little taller.
- Four o'clock.
- A person who is four years old.
I'll take the threes, fours and fives and go to the playground.
- An event in which the batsmen run four times between the wickets or, more often, a batsman hits a ball which bounces on the ground before passing over a boundary, 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.
- A power forward.
- Four-man sweep racing shell, with or without a coxswain.
The shell itself.
The team bought a new four last season.
- The shell itself.
The team bought a new four last season.
- The crew rowing in a four boat.
Our four won both races.
- A regatta event for four boats.
We got third place in the varsity four.
- A four-pennyworth of spirits.
Noun
- Four-man sweep racing shell, with or without a coxswain.
Numeral
- A numerical value equal to 4; the number after three and before five; two plus two. This many dots (••••)
There are four seasons: winter, spring, summer and autumn.
Synonyms of Four
Four synonyms and antonyms →Four in a Sentence
There are four seasons: spring, summer, autumn and winter.
Do you have any more fours? I want to make this a little taller.
I'll take the threes, fours and fives and go to the playground.
The team bought a new four last season.
Our four won both races.
We got third place in the varsity four.
There are four seasons: winter, spring, summer and autumn.
Word Forms & Grammar
four
four (countable and uncountable, plural fours)
Words That Rhyme With Four
Origin of Four
Origin 1: From Middle English four, from Old English fēower, from Proto-West Germanic *feuwar, from Proto-Germanic *fedwōr, from previous pre-Grimm *petwṓr, from Proto-Indo-European *kʷetwṓr, the neuter form of *kʷetwóres. Doublet of cuatro and quatre.
Origin 2: Cognates include Scots fower, Saterland Frisian fjauer, West Frisian fjouwer, Dutch vier, German Low German veer, German vier, Norwegian Bokmål and Danish fire, Swedish fyra, Gothic 𐍆𐌹𐌳𐍅𐍉𐍂 (fidwōr) and, more distantly, Latin quattuor (whence Spanish cuatro, French quatre), Ancient Greek τέσσαρες (téssares), Irish ceathair, Welsh pedwar, Armenian չորս (čʻors), Lithuanian keturi, Albanian katër, Sanskrit चतुर् (catur).
Common Questions About Four
Is four a noun or a numeral?
Four is mainly used as a noun, but it can also be used as a numeral.
What is another word for four?
You can replace four with words such as cardinal, tetrad and quartet. See the full list of four synonyms and antonyms.
What is the plural of four?
The plural of four is fours.