nineteen

UK: ˌnaɪnˈtiːn | US: ˌnaɪnˈtin

Definition

  1. n. the cardinal number equal to the sum of ten and nine (19).

Structure
nine <the number 9>teen <variant of ten, used in numerals 13–19>
Etymology

The word "nineteen" combines "nine" (from Old English nigon, Proto-Germanic newun) and the suffix "-teen" (from Old English -tīene, a form of "ten"). This structure follows the Germanic pattern for numerals 13–19, where the unit digit precedes the base ten (e.g., fourteen, fifteen). The "-teen" suffix historically emphasized "ten more than," reflecting its additive function in counting.

Examples

  1. She celebrated her nineteenth birthday last week.

  2. The train departs at nineteen minutes past the hour.

  3. Nineteen students volunteered for the science project.

  4. The recipe calls for nineteen grams of sugar.

  5. Chapter nineteen concludes the novel’s main plot.