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forty

num. · n.
US //ˈfɔɹti// UK //fˈɔːti// forty
  1. 1 the number 40 (num.)
    A1 Beginner Math

    the number 40.

    the cardinal number occurring after thirty-nine and before forty-one.

    Example

    My father is turning forty next month, so we are planning a big party.

    Example

    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'.

  2. 2 a large bottle of beer (n.)
    C1 Advanced American English Slang

    a large bottle of beer that holds 40 ounces.

    a bottle of malt liquor or beer containing forty fluid ounces.

    Example

    The characters in the movie were sitting on the porch drinking a forty.

    Example

    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 1

From Middle English fourti, feortiȝ, from Old English fēowertiġ, ultimately from Proto-Germanic *fedwōr tigiwiz (“forty”). By surface analysis, four + -ty.

Etymology 2

From fort + -y.

Word family
  • Nounfort
  • Numeralforty
Idioms5 entries

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