twenty
- 01 A1 Beginner
num.the number 20.
num.the cardinal number occurring after nineteen and before twenty-one.
Simple“There are twenty students in the classroom today.”
In context“The research team spent twenty months collecting data before they felt confident enough to publish their preliminary findings.”
Synonyms - 02 A2 Elementary
n.the years in a century from 20 to 29, or the age between 20 and 29.
n.the decade of a century or the years of a person's life between twenty and twenty-nine inclusive; usually plural.
Simple“The city grew very quickly during the twenties.”
In context“Economic historians often compare the current market volatility to the boom-and-bust cycles seen in the nineteen-twenties.”
Synonyms - 03 B1 Intermediate
n.a piece of paper money worth twenty dollars, pounds, or euros.
n.a banknote with a denomination of twenty units of currency.
Simple“He reached into his wallet and pulled out a twenty to pay for the meal.”
In context“The cashier asked if I had anything smaller, as she was unable to provide change for a twenty so early in the shift.”
Synonymstwenty dollar bill - 04 C1 Advanced
n.your current position or location.
n.a term used to request or provide a current location, derived from the '10-20' radio code.
Simple“I'm at the front entrance of the mall; what's your twenty?”
In context“The dispatcher requested a twenty from the patrol unit to determine which vehicle was closest to the scene of the accident.”
UsageOften used in the phrase 'What's your twenty?'
Teacher's tipThis originated in CB radio and police codes but is now used casually in some dialects to ask where someone is.
Synonyms
From Middle English twenty, twenti, from Old English twēntiġ (“twenty”, literally “two tens”), from Proto-Germanic twaintigiwiz, twai tigiwiz, an old compound of twain- (“two”) + -tigaz (“group of ten”), equivalent to two + -ty, or twain + -ty. Cognate with Scots twenty, tuenty (“twenty”), West Frisian tweintich (“twenty”), Dutch twintig (“twenty”), German zwanzig (“twenty”), Danish tyve.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.