noun

nines

Nines (noun) means a pair of playing cards or dice both showing the value nine. Example: “He won the hand with a pair of nines.”

noun

A pair of playing cards or dice both showing the value nine.

"He won the hand with a pair of nines."

"She was dealt nines on the first two cards."

The number of nines in a decimal figure used to describe how pure or reliable something is (e.g. "three nines" = 99.9%).

"The alloy is refined to four nines purity."

"The data centre promises five nines of uptime."

How to use nines

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishEither a pair of cards/dice showing nine, or a way of describing purity/reliability by counting how many 9s are in the percentage.

Memory tip

In tech and manufacturing, "nines" almost always refers to that purity/uptime scale — "five nines" means 99.999%.

Common pairings

five nines four nines purity dressed to the nines

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He won the hand with a pair of _____.

Rhymes for nines

Hines Lines Haines Raines Baines Gaines Marines Staines confines sardines guidelines aborigines

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Frequently asked questions

What does “nines” mean?

The word “nines” means a pair of playing cards or dice both showing the value nine. In plain terms, either a pair of cards/dice showing nine, or a way of describing purity/reliability by counting how many 9s are in the percentage.

How do you use “nines” in a sentence?

Here is “nines” used in a sentence: “He won the hand with a pair of nines.”

What part of speech is “nines”?

“Nines” is a noun.

How many meanings does “nines” have?

“Nines” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a pair of playing cards or dice both showing the value nine.