forty
- 01 A1 Beginner
num.the number 40.
num.the cardinal number occurring after thirty-nine and before forty-one.
Simple“My father is turning forty next month, so we are planning a big party.”
In context“The company celebrated its forty years of operation by offering a significant discount to its original clients.”
PitfallHe is fourty years old. He is forty years old.Unlike 'four' and 'fourteen', 'forty' is spelled without a 'u'.
- 02 C1 Advanced
n.a large bottle of beer that holds 40 ounces.
n.a bottle of malt liquor or beer containing forty fluid ounces.
Simple“The characters in the movie were sitting on the porch drinking a forty.”
In context“The lyrics often referenced drinking a forty as a symbol of street life in that specific era of urban music.”
UsageUsually refers specifically to malt liquor rather than standard lager.
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.