eight
Americannoun
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a cardinal number, seven plus one.
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a symbol for this number, as 8 or VIII.
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a set of this many persons or things, as the crew of an eight-oared racing shell.
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a playing card the face of which bears eight pips.
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Informal.
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an automobile powered by an eight-cylinder engine.
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an eight-cylinder engine.
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adjective
noun
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the cardinal number that is the sum of one and seven and the product of two and four See also number
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a numeral, 8, VIII, etc, representing this number
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music the numeral 8 used as the lower figure in a time signature to indicate that the beat is measured in quavers
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the amount or quantity that is one greater than seven
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something representing, represented by, or consisting of eight units, such as a playing card with eight symbols on it
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rowing
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a racing shell propelled by eight oarsmen
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the crew of such a shell
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Also called: eight o'clock. eight hours after noon or midnight
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slang to be drunk
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See figure of eight
determiner
Usage
Spelling tips for 8 The word eight (8) is hard to spell because it is not spelled the way it sounds [ eyt ]. There are a number of silent letters. How to spell eight: The easiest way to remember how to spell eight is with the classic mnemonic device: “I before E, except after C, except when it’s pronounced like a long A, as in neighbor and weigh.” The collection of letters eigh often makes a long A sound. To this, you simply add the t at the end: eight.
Etymology
Origin of eight
before 1000; Middle English eighte, Old English ( e ) ahta; cognate with Dutch acht, Old Saxon, Old High German ahto ( German acht ), Old Norse ātta, Gothic ahtau, Latin octō, Greek oktṓ, Old Irish ocht, Welsh wyth, Breton eiz, Tocharian B okt, Lithuanian aštuonì, Albanian tetë, Armenian uth, Persian hasht, Sanskrit aṣṭáu; apparently an old dual in form, but not clear of what
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The ball he played to Neto for the opening goal in the 40th minute was the first pass he had completed in the final third, having lost possession eight times beforehand.
From BBC
French authorities have received complaints from eight individuals who reported their child vomited after consuming baby formula.
From BBC
The regime released him from the notorious Helicoide prison in Caracas on Sunday after eight months of incarceration.
He livestreamed the protest in an incident that resulted in charges for eight other people.
From BBC
He departed with eight wins in 17 league games for a win rate of 47.1%.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.