sixteen

[siks-teen]

noun

a cardinal number, ten plus six.

a symbol for this number, as 16 or XVI.

a set of this many persons or things.

adjective

amounting to 16 in number.

Origin of sixteen

before 900; Middle English, Old English sixtēne; cognate with Dutch zestien, German sechzehn, Old Norse sextān. See six, -teen

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for sixteen

Contemporary Examples of sixteen

At the age of sixteen these bad guys chase you, often under the amused and complicit watch of policemen.
Living Black & Gay in the ’50s
Alain Mabanckou
December 3, 2014
My birth certificate was modified, I changed my name, and when I was sixteen I emancipated from my grandparents and my father.
Exclusive: Michael Phelps’s Intersex Self-Proclaimed Girlfriend, Taylor Lianne Chandler, Tells All
Aurora Snow
November 26, 2014
Sixteen years later, his former best friend finally confronts him.
The Daily Beast’s Best Longreads, Nov 10-16, 2014
William Boot
November 16, 2014
Sixteen have cleared the Judiciary Committee, 13 with unanimous support from members of both parties.
What If the United States Had No Attorney General?
Eleanor Clift
November 14, 2014
Sixteen seasons in, The Biggest Loser continues to be a ratings winner.
‘The Biggest Loser’ Could Be TV’s Most Important Show Ever
Daniela Drake
September 26, 2014

Historical Examples of sixteen

We on the other hand cross the ocean in sixteen hours in a flying machine.
Ancient Man
Hendrik Willem van Loon
Hope to reach Israelite Bay to-morrow, as it is only sixteen miles distant.
Explorations in Australia
John Forrest
There were sixty-four men, and sixteen or seventeen families.
The Exploring Expedition to the Rocky Mountains, Oregon and California
Brevet Col. J.C. Fremont
The prices of a few are inserted; sixteen blankets were sold.
A Sketch of the Life of Brig. Gen. Francis Marion
William Dobein James
The tower rises above the crossing, and is crowned by sixteen pinnacles.
Yorkshire Painted And Described
Gordon Home

British Dictionary definitions for sixteen

sixteen

noun

the cardinal number that is the sum of ten and sixSee also number (def. 1)

a numeral, 16, XVI, etc, representing this number

music the numeral 16 used as the lower figure of a time signature to indicate that the beat is measured in semiquavers

something represented by, representing, or consisting of 16 units

determiner

amounting to sixteensixteen tons
(as pronoun)sixteen are known to the police

Word Origin for sixteen

Old English sextyne

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for sixteen

Old English sixtyne, from siex (see six) + -teen. Cf. Old Frisian sextine, Middle Dutch sestien, Dutch zestien, German sechszehn, Old Norse sextan.

The age of the gods is always sixteen. Sixteen represents the number of perfection, of plenitude. In man it is after the sixteenth year that the first elements of decay begin to appear, and when the moon reaches the sixteenth digit it begins to decrease. [Alain Daniélou, "The Myths and Gods of India"]

From Latin contracted form sexdecim, sedecim come Italian sedici, French seize.