Number Meaning
Number Definition & Usage
A mathematical value used to count, measure, or label.
Examples
- "I have three numbers in my address: 45, 67, and 89."
- "The number of students in the class is twenty."
- "She recited the number of pi to five decimal places."
- "Can you give me the number for customer service?"
- "He added the numbers to solve the equation."
A numeral or group of numerals used for identification or categorization.
Examples
- "Please write your phone number on the form."
- "The number on my jersey is 23."
- "He dialed the wrong number by mistake."
- "I can't remember my account number."
- "She asked for your student number to verify your records."
An order or position in a sequence or set.
Examples
- "He finished in second number in the race."
- "What number are we on in the list?"
- "Her house is number five on the street."
- "This was the number one bestseller of the year."
- "They were the last number in the line."
To assign a number to something for identification or organization.
Examples
- "Can you number these pages?"
- "The teacher numbered the questions from one to ten."
- "Please number the items on the list in order of priority."
- "They numbered the sections of the report for easier reference."
- "We need to number the ballots before they are counted."
Cultural Context
The word 'number' has ancient origins, with its roots in Latin 'numerus'. It has played a fundamental role in mathematics, science, and daily life as a means of categorizing, counting, and organizing. From phone numbers to numerical rankings, 'number' transcends simple arithmetic and becomes central to identity and order.
The Numbered Days
Story
The Numbered Days
In a bustling city, a young woman named Clara found herself facing a life-altering decision. As she stood in front of a towering office building, she looked at the number on the door: 256. It wasn’t just a number; it was a symbol of her next step. She was applying for a job that could change her future, and this number—her lucky number, as she had always believed—was somehow reassuring. Inside, she was given a series of tasks, each one involving numbers. She was asked to sort a stack of files by their numbered order, quickly matching the correct number with the right document. Each file represented a part of the company's history, and Clara marveled at how numbers could organize and define something so abstract as business success. Her mind drifted as she thought about the first time she had learned numbers, memorizing the digits for her phone and her address as a child. Numbers had always been a part of her world, from the mundane to the monumental. When it was finally time for her interview, Clara was asked about her past experiences. 'Tell me about a time when you were under pressure,' the interviewer said. Clara thought back to a stressful evening when she had been juggling multiple projects at work, and she remembered the constant crunching of numbers on spreadsheets. She had numbered her tasks, methodically working her way through each one. As the day ended, Clara was given a small token—a number. Not just any number, but the company’s special employee number that would be hers if she was hired. It was 153, a number that held a deep significance for her. She had always believed in the power of numbers, and this one felt like it had chosen her. As she walked out of the office building, she looked at the street number once more, the one that had once seemed so impersonal, now symbolizing a new beginning. She felt her future unfolding in front of her, and the number she had been given would forever be a part of her story, guiding her every step.