forty-eight

UK: ˈfɔːti eɪt | US: ˈfɔːrti eɪt

Definition

  1. adj. / n. the number equivalent to the product of four and ten plus eight; 48

Structure
forty <40, from Old English "fēowertig">eight <8, from Old English "eahta">
Etymology

The word "forty-eight" is a compound of "forty" and "eight," both derived from Old English. "Forty" originates from "fēowertig," combining "fēower" (four) and "-tig" (a suffix denoting multiples of ten). "Eight" comes from "eahta," an ancient Germanic root for the number 8. The compound reflects the straightforward Germanic tradition of combining numerals to form larger numbers.

Examples

  1. She bought forty-eight apples for the school event.

  2. The temperature dropped to forty-eight degrees overnight.

  3. There are forty-eight students in the advanced class.

  4. The recipe requires forty-eight hours of fermentation.

  5. He scored forty-eight points in the basketball game.