serial number

American  

noun

1. a number, usually one of a series, assigned for identification.

   the serial number of an automobile engine.

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serial number British  

noun

1. any of the consecutive numbers assigned to machines, tools, books, etc

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Etymology

Origin of serial number

First recorded in 1895–1900

Example Sentences

Each bears a unique serial number and since 1950, winners have been prohibited from selling them on the open market without first offering them back to the organization for one dollar.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 12, 2026

“There’s no unique serial number on a load of lobster meat,” Burroughs said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 29, 2025

When sold to UK consumers, products should come with instructions written in clear English, and a batch or serial number for identification.

From BBC • Dec. 20, 2025

But collectors and watch scholars have noted that the timepiece in question featured a serial number that dated it to 1965.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 27, 2025

A doctor started an IV, while a nurse tried to question the infantryman for his name, rank, and serial number.

From "Boots on the Ground: America's War in Vietnam" by Elizabeth Partridge