eight
Eight (num) means the number 8, one more than seven. Example: “She has eight cousins on her mother's side.”
How to use eight
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe number after seven, or (in rowing) a boat with eight rowers plus a cox.
Word forms
eights plural
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
She has _____ cousins on her mother's side.
Etymology
PIE word *oḱtṓw Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *oḱtṓw Proto-Germanic *ahtōu Proto-West Germanic *ahtō Old English eahta Middle English eighte English eight From Middle English eighte, aught, eahte, ahte, from Old English eahta, from Proto-West Germanic *ahtō, from Proto-Germanic *ahtōu, from Proto-Indo-European *oḱtṓw. Cognate with Scots aucht (“eight”), West Frisian acht (“eight”), Dutch acht (“eight”), Low German acht (“eight”), German acht (“eight”), Norwegian åtte (“eight”), Swedish åtta (“eight”), Icelandic átta (“eight”), Latin octo (“eight”), Ancient Greek ὀκτώ (oktṓ), Irish ocht (“eight”), among others. False cognate of Tamil எட்டு (eṭṭu), Malayalam എട്ട് (eṭṭŭ).
Synonyms
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Rhymes for eight
See all rhymes for eight →Frequently asked questions
What does “eight” mean?
The word “eight” means the number 8, one more than seven. In plain terms, the number after seven, or (in rowing) a boat with eight rowers plus a cox.
How do you pronounce “eight”?
“Eight” is pronounced ayt (/eɪt/ in IPA).
How do you use “eight” in a sentence?
Here is “eight” used in a sentence: “She has eight cousins on her mother's side.”
What part of speech is “eight”?
Depending on how it is used, “eight” can be a num and a noun.
Is “eight” a common word?
“Eight” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.
How many meanings does “eight” have?
“Eight” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: the number 8, one more than seven.
Is eight an even number?
Yes. Eight is an even number because it divides exactly by two, giving four. It is also a perfect cube, two times two times two, and the third power of two. In counting, eight comes after seven and before nine, and is written as the digit 8.
Why is eight considered lucky in some cultures?
In Chinese culture, eight is regarded as very lucky because its spoken form sounds like the word for wealth or prosperity. This belief influences choices of phone numbers, addresses, and dates. Attitudes vary worldwide, but eight's link with good fortune is especially strong across much of East Asia.
How do you write and spell the number eight?
The number eight is written as the digit 8 and spelled e-i-g-h-t. It sits between seven and nine on the number line. As an ordinal, it becomes eighth, written 8th. The unusual gh spelling is silent, a leftover from the word's older Germanic and English roots.
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