definitions

a number of

A collection of persons or things; several. For example, A number of tours are available, or We've visited a number of times. This idiom often is modified by an adjective giving some idea of quantity, as in Only a small number are going. [1300s] Also see any number of.

RELATED CONTENT

Why Veterans Day And The Number 11 Are Tied TogetherNovember 11th is the 315th day of the year (except on leap years). It’s also Veterans Day, a federal holiday honoring all military veterans.
READ MORE
A Brief History Of Writing InstrumentsThe quill fueled most written communication from the 6th to the 19th century. Quills were made of hollow bird feathers, most commonly goose feathers.
READ MORE

Nearby words

a mensa et thoro, a midsummer night's dream, a miss is as good as a mile, a must, a new broom sweeps clean, a number of, a one, a penny saved is a penny earned, a picture is worth a thousand words, a place for everything and everything in its place, a posteriori
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.