forty-eight

American  

[fawr-tee-eyt] / ˈfɔr tiˈeɪt /

noun

1. a cardinal number, 40 plus 8.

2. a symbol for this number, such as 48 or XLVIII.

3. a set of 48 persons or things.

   Of the two parties that reserved a private room tonight, the forty-eight is the larger, so put them in the east dining room just off the lounge.

4. Informal. the forty-eight, the conterminous United States.

   Crossing the border into Alberta, Canada, was the first time he’d ventured beyond the forty-eight.

---

adjective

1. amounting to 48 in number.

   So far, forty-eight students have registered for soccer.

Example Sentences

All this she related cheerfully between hops forty-eight and fifty-eight.

From Literature

Exactly forty-eight hours after the fires began, the clouds rolled in over Garner County.

From Literature

“He’s on a psychiatric hold for forty-eight hours. I don’t know anything else, but we can try to find out.”

From Literature

These diesel-electric subs could cruise underwater on battery power for up to forty-eight hours, but to recharge they needed to approach the surface, take in oxygen, and run their diesel engines.

From Literature

“This poor girl’s had an arduous forty-eight hours. The least we can do is let her catch her breath.”

From Literature