thousand
UK: ˈθaʊz(ə)nd | US: ˈθaʊz(ə)nd
n. the number equivalent to 10 × 100; ten hundred
n. (thousands) an unspecified large number
thousand = thou<great, strong> + sand<group, hundred>
- thou (Old English þūsend, from Proto-Germanic þūsundī, related to "great" or "swollen" in the sense of magnitude)
- sand (from Proto-Germanic hundą, meaning "hundred"; cognate with Latin centum)
Etymology Origin:
The word "thousand" originates from Proto-Germanic þūsundī, combining þūs- (intensifying prefix implying "great" or "swollen") and -hundą (hundred). It reflects an ancient multiplicative concept—"a great hundred." The term evolved through Old English þūsend and retained its core meaning of a large countable unit (10 × 100). The morpheme sand is a fossilized remnant of the Germanic root for "hundred," now obscured by phonetic shifts.
The ancient manuscript is over a thousand years old.
Thousands of people attended the festival.
She earned a thousand dollars from her side job.
The desert stretches for thousands of miles.
He apologized a thousand times for his mistake.