twenty
UK: ˈtwɛnti | US: ˈtwɛnti
n. the cardinal number equivalent to the product of two and ten; 20
adj. amounting to twenty in number
twenty = twen<two> + ty<group of ten>
- twen<two>: Derived from Old English twēn- (variant of twā, meaning "two").
- ty<group of ten>: From Old English -tig, a suffix denoting multiples of ten (e.g., thirty, forty).
Etymology Origin:
The word twenty originates from Old English twēntig, combining twēn- (a form of "two") and -tig (a decade suffix). This structure reflects the Germanic base-10 counting system, where numbers like 20, 30, etc., were literally "two-tens," "three-tens." Over time, twēntig evolved phonetically into twenty, retaining its logical numerical composition.
She bought twenty apples for the party.
The classroom seats twenty students comfortably.
He scored twenty points in the basketball game.
Twenty years ago, this town was much smaller.
The recipe calls for twenty grams of sugar.