eighty-five

UK: ˈeɪti faɪv | US: ˈeɪti faɪv

Definition

  1. adj. / n. the number equivalent to the product of eight and five; 85

Structure
eighty <cardinal number 80>five <cardinal number 5>
Etymology

The word "eighty-five" is a compound of two Old English roots:

  1. "Eighty" derives from Old English eahtatig (eahta "eight" + -tig "group of ten"), reflecting the Germanic base-10 counting system.
  2. "Five" comes from Old English fīf, from Proto-Germanic fimf, shared across Indo-European languages (e.g., Latin quinque).
    The hyphenated form emerged in Middle English to standardize compound numbers (e.g., twenty-one, eighty-five), preserving clarity in written numerals.
Examples

  1. She scored eighty-five points in the final exam.

  2. The temperature reached eighty-five degrees Fahrenheit today.

  3. The book has eighty-five chapters, each under ten pages.

  4. Eighty-five percent of participants agreed with the proposal.

  5. He retired at the age of eighty-five.