four

[fawr, fohr]

noun

1. a cardinal number, three plus one.

2. a symbol of this number, 4 or IV or IIII.

3. a set of this many persons or things.

4. a playing card, die face, or half of a domino face with four pips.

5. Jazz.,  fours, alternate four-bar passages, as played in sequence by different soloists.

   with guitar and piano trading fours.

6. Automotive.

   1. an automobile powered by a four-cylinder engine.

   2. the engine itself.

adjective

1. amounting to four in number.

four

/ fɔː /

noun

1. the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one

2. a numeral, 4, IV, etc, representing this number

3. something representing, represented by, or consisting of four units, such as a playing card with four symbols on it

4. Also called: four o'clock. four hours after noon or midnight

5. cricket

   1. a shot that crosses the boundary after hitting the ground

   2. the four runs scored for such a shot

6. rowing

   1. a racing shell propelled by four oarsmen pulling one oar each, with or without a cox

   2. the crew of such a shell

determiner

1. 1. amounting to four

      four thousand eggs

      four times

   2. ( as pronoun )

      four are ready

Word History and Origins

Origin of four¹

before 1000; Middle English four, fower, Old English fēower; cognate with Old High German fior ( German vier ), Gothic fidwor; akin to Latin quattuor, Greek tésseres ( Attic téttares )

Word History and Origins

Origin of four¹

Old English fēower ; related to Old Frisian fiūwer , Old Norse fjōrir , Old High German fior , Latin quattuor , Greek tessares , Sanskrit catur

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. on all fours. all fours.

More idioms and phrases containing four

• between you and me and (the four walls)
• on all fours

Example Sentences

His ban began on 20 September 2024 - the date of his third whereabouts failure - and will conclude on 20 March 2026, four months before he turns 39.

From BBC

Delgado will cover the majority of weeks on tour, but there will still be a role for James Trotman who has been by Draper's side for the past four years.

From BBC

There are four options - and none of them look good.

From BBC

Five goals, four assists, and there is a feeling that football has returned to his body this season - fluid, joyful - after a mixed campaign last time round.

From BBC

Seven weeks into the new season, a rested and reinvigorated Pulisic leads Italy’s Serie A with four goals to go with two assists.

From Los Angeles Times