nine

[nahyn]

noun

1. a cardinal number, eight plus one.

2. a symbol for this number, as 9 or IX.

3. a set of this many persons or things.

4. a baseball team.

5. a playing card with nine pips.

6. the Nine, the Muses.

adjective

1. amounting to nine in number.

nine

/ naɪn /

noun

1. the cardinal number that is the sum of one and eight See also number

2. a numeral, 9, IX, etc, representing this number

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

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

   the play starts at nine

5. informal,  elaborately dressed

6. (in Britain) the telephone number of the emergency services

7. normal office hours

   he works nine to five

   a nine-to-five job

determiner

1. 1. amounting to nine

      nine days

   2. ( as pronoun )

      nine of the ten are ready

Word History and Origins

Origin of nine¹

before 900; Middle English; Old English nigan, nigon, cognate with Dutch negen, akin to German neun, Old Norse nīu, Gothic niun, Latin novem, Greek ennéa, Sanskrit náva

Word History and Origins

Origin of nine¹

Old English nigon; related to Gothic niun, Latin novem

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. dressed to the nines, looking one's best; dressed smartly, splendidly, etc..

   All the girls were dressed to the nines for the party.

see dressed to kill (to the nines); on cloud nine; possession is nine points of the law; whole nine yards.

Example Sentences

Those results left the Blue Sharks with four points from a possible nine, having won away to Eswatini in between.

Read more on Barron's

Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Ghana and Cape Verde have won groups and filled six of the nine places automatically reserved for Africa at the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Read more on Barron's

Martin left with the club 11 points behind leaders Heart of Midlothian and nine behind Celtic, having overseen five victories in all competitions.

Read more on BBC

Biya, who at 92 is the world's oldest head of state, is being challenged by nine candidates.

Read more on BBC

Seattle had drafted Wilson and developed him into a star who played 10 years for them, making nine Pro Bowls and leading the franchise to its first and only Super Bowl title.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal