sixteen

[ siks-teen ]

/ ˈsɪksˈtin /

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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.

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Origin of sixteen

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

Words nearby sixteen

six-pointer, six-shooter, Six Sigma, six-spot, sixte, sixteen, sixteenmo, sixteenpenny, sixteenth, Sixteenth Amendment, sixteenth note

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use sixteen in a sentence

They come in over sixteen super cute patterns and measure 12 x 14 inches, which can fit up to 6 cloth diapers.
Wonderful wet bags for you and your kid|PopSci Commerce Team|January 18, 2021|Popular-Science
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|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST

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|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST
At twelve, or fifteen, or sixteen, or twenty it was decided that they should stop learning.
The Salvaging Of Civilisation|H. G. (Herbert George) Wells
There are at present more than sixteen thousand Chinese in this city of Manila, who have received license to stay in the country.
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume XX, 1621-1624|Various
A chair covered with red silk, borne on the shoulders of sixteen chair-men, passed up to the temple.
Our Little Korean Cousin|H. Lee M. Pike
It also brought news that sixteen Dutch ships had already arrived at La Sunda, and that the rest of the fleet was on the way.
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume XX, 1621-1624|Various
Feeling sixteen and very foolish, she sank to the edge of a chair and muttered something about the charm of the room.
Ancestors|Gertrude Atherton

British Dictionary definitions for sixteen

sixteen

/ (ˈsɪksˈtiːn) /

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