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num A1 Beginner Very common

eight

ayt
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Eight (num) means the number 8, one more than seven. Example: “There are eight chairs around the table, but only six guests.”

num
1
The number 8, one more than seven.
"There are eight chairs around the table, but only six guests."
"She has eight cousins on her mother's side."
"The meeting starts at eight tomorrow morning."
noun
1
A rowing boat crewed by eight rowers and a coxswain, or the race such boats compete in.
"The men's eight pulled ahead of the rival crew near the final bend."
"She trained for years to earn a seat in the national eight."
"Their college eight won the regatta this year."

How to use eight

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishThe number after seven, or (in rowing) a boat with eight rowers plus a cox.

Common pairings
a figure eight eight o'clock the eight (rowing)
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Word forms

Plural
eights
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There are _____ chairs around the table, but only six guests.

Etymology

This word goes back to the PIE word *oḱtṓw. It came 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. It is 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), and Irish ocht ("eight"), among others. It is a false cognate of Tamil எட்டு (eṭṭu) and Malayalam എട്ട് (eṭṭŭ).

Origin: Middle English

Synonyms

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8 VIII octad octet ogdoad eighter octonary eight-spot

Related words

byte octad octet octonary ogdoad

Rhymes for eight

weight height freight sleight overweight lightweight heavyweight paperweight middleweight
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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