thirty-three

UK: ˈθɜːti θriː | US: ˈθɜːrti θriː

Definition

  1. n. the cardinal number equal to thirty plus three (33)

  2. adj. amounting to thirty-three in number

Structure
thirty <30, from Old English "þrītig">three <3, from Old English "þrēo">
Etymology

The word "thirty-three" is a compound of "thirty" and "three," both derived from Old English. "Thirty" originates from "þrītig," meaning "three tens," while "three" comes from "þrēo," the numeral for 3. This compounding follows the Germanic tradition of forming numbers by combining tens and units (e.g., "twenty-one," "forty-two"). The structure reflects a straightforward additive logic, common in Indo-European numeral systems.

Examples

  1. She celebrated her thirty-third birthday last week.

  2. The book has thirty-three chapters in total.

  3. Thirty-three students attended the workshop.

  4. The temperature dropped to thirty-three degrees overnight.

  5. He scored thirty-three points in the basketball game.