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

Peers have so far discussed fewer than 30 of the amendments during two of the four days reserved for committee stage, when the bill is scrutinised line-by-line.

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But the fourth a soul match with Alfred Steele, the president of Pepsi-Cola, which was cut cruelly short after four years by his death in 1959 from a heart attack.

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One associate claimed Dillon had not spoken 10 words to him in four years.

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I have visited Austria, Hungary, Morocco and Jordan, and I’ve visited the U.K, Spain and Italy multiple times in the past four years.

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He had only just finished paying off the van after four years, which he had used to help friends and relatives, as well as moving goods to be sold for charities.

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