Word
forty
US/ˈfɔɹti/
UK/fˈɔːti/
Definitions
01the number 40
A1 · Beginner Mathematics
num. the number 40.
num. the cardinal number occurring after thirty-nine and before forty-one.
“My father is turning forty next month, so we are planning a big party.”
“The company celebrated its forty years of operation by offering a significant discount to its original clients.”
Pitfall
He is fourty years old.
He is forty years old.
Unlike 'four' and 'fourteen', 'forty' is spelled without a 'u'.
02a large bottle of beer
C1 · Advanced Countable noun American English · Slang
n. a large bottle of beer that holds 40 ounces.
n. a bottle of malt liquor or beer containing forty fluid ounces.
“The characters in the movie were sitting on the porch drinking a forty.”
“The lyrics often referenced drinking a forty as a symbol of street life in that specific era of urban music.”
Usage
Usually refers specifically to malt liquor rather than standard lager.
Etymology
From Middle English fourti, feortiȝ, from Old English fēowertiġ, ultimately from Proto-Germanic *fedwōr tigiwiz (“forty”). By surface analysis, four + -ty.
From fort + -y.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NUMERAL
Idioms
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.A1 MoversIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.2.0–3.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 1.0–1.50–23TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.120–224
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- A1 · BeginnerOxford
- Updated
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