ten
Noun pluraltens
Pluraltens
- 1The number occurring after nine and before eleven, written as 10 in Arabic numerals and as X in Roman numerals.
The committee needs ten votes to pass the measure.
She turned ten last spring and started fifth grade.
UsageBefore a noun, use a hyphen and singular year: a ten-year-old boy (not
incorrect: a ten-years-old boy). - 2In the plural, an inexact number several times ten, or several times a stated amount, as in 'tens of volunteers' or 'tens of thousands'.
Tens of volunteers showed up to clean the beach after the storm.
A single faulty part can force a recall of tens of thousands of cars.
Note
Unlike the exact group of ten, it promises no precise count, only a rough order of size. Pairing it with thousands or millions scales the vagueness up, as in tens of thousands of voters or tens of thousands of years.
- 3A set or group made up of exactly ten elements or members.
Eggs at some markets are sold in tens rather than by the dozen.
The envelopes were bundled in tens to make them easier to count.
UsageOften after in or into: sold in tens, divided into tens.
Note
Arithmetic classrooms lean on this sense. A number is taught as so many tens and ones, and learners count the tens in a hundred before they move on to larger numbers.
Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 2 facts
- Arithmetic teaching represents numbers as tens and ones. thecorestandards.org
- Learners study the tens making up a hundred before progressing to larger numbers. pressbooks.bccampus.ca
Less common meanings
- 4A denomination of currency with a value of ten units, especially a banknote such as a ten-dollar bill.
Can you break this twenty into two tens?
He slipped a ten into the tip jar on his way out.
Similartenner
- 5The top score on a scale of one to ten, used of someone or something perfect or extreme, especially a very attractive person.
Everyone at the gym agrees the new trainer is a ten.
Her closing performance wasn't just good. It was a ten.
UsageUsually a ten or a perfect ten. Said of a person's looks it can sound objectifying.
Note
Slang that scores looks out of ten, with the United States as its home ground. It also forms compounds such as the Office Ten, someone only middling elsewhere who seems dazzling at work.
Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 3 facts
- The rating refers to a scale of one to ten. en.wiktionary.org
- The attractive-person slang sense is associated with the United States. en.wiktionary.org
- An Office Ten seems more attractive at work than elsewhere. thecut.com
- 6A playing card of any suit that bears the rank or value of ten.
The ten of spades completed her straight.
He discarded both red tens early in the hand.
Note
At the card table its rank depends on the game. Ordinarily it sits between the nine and the jack. In point-trick games such as pinochle and sixty-six, it climbs to just below the ace. Players name it by suit or by color, as in the ten of spades or both red tens.
Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 4 facts
- A ten's rank varies with the game. en.wikipedia.org
- In the ordinary ranking, ten falls between nine and jack. bicyclecards.com
- Pinochle scores cards won in tricks and ranks ten immediately below ace. bicyclecards.com
- Sixty-six scores cards won in tricks and ranks ten immediately below ace. bicyclecards.com
- 7In rowing, a burst of ten strokes rowed flat out at full pressure.
Showing meanings only.
Practice
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Origin
From Middle English "ten," from Old English "tīen," from Proto-Germanic "*tehun," and ultimately from the Proto-Indo-European root "*déḱm̥." It is related to Scots "ten" and West Frisian "tsien."
Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 3 facts
- English ten descends through Middle English ten and Old English tīen from Proto-Germanic *tehun and ultimately Proto-Indo-European *déḱm̥. en.wiktionary.org
- English ten is related to Scots ten. en.wiktionary.org
- English ten is related to West Frisian tsien. en.wiktionary.org