forty-six

UK: ˈfɔːti sɪks | US: ˈfɔːrti sɪks

Definition

  1. n. the number equivalent to the sum of forty and six; 46

  2. adj. amounting to forty-six in number

Structure
forty <four tens>six <the number 6>
Etymology

The word "forty-six" is a compound numeral formed by combining "forty" (derived from Old English "fēowertig," meaning "four tens") and "six" (from Old English "siex"). This structure follows the Germanic pattern of numeral formation, where decades and units are concatenated. The spelling "forty" (instead of "fourty") was standardized in Early Modern English, while "six" retained its original form.

Examples

  1. She scored forty-six points in the basketball game.

  2. The recipe requires forty-six grams of sugar.

  3. There are forty-six students in my class.

  4. The book has forty-six chapters.

  5. He celebrated his forty-sixth birthday last week.