hundred Meaning, Definition & Usage

Hun"dred noun

Etymology

OE. hundred, AS. hundred a territorial division; hund hundred + a word akin to Goth. ga-rajan to count, L. ratio reckoning, account; akin to OS. hunderod, hund, D. hondred, G. hundert, OHG. also hunt, Icel. hundra, Dan. hundrede, Sw. hundra, hundrade, Goth. hund, Lith. szimtas, Russ. sto, W. cant, Ir. cead, L. centum, Gr. , Skr. çata. Cf. Cent, Century, Hecatomb, Quintal, and Reason.

Definitions

1. The product of ten mulitplied by ten, or the number of ten times ten; a collection or sum, consisting of ten times ten units or objects; five score. Also, a symbol representing one hundred units, as 100 or C.

   With many hundreds treading on his heels. Shak.

   ✍ The word hundred, as well as thousand, million, etc., often takes a plural form. We may say hundreds, or many hundreds, meaning individual objects or units, but with an ordinal numeral adjective in constructions like five hundreds, or eight hundreds, it is usually intended to consider each hundred as a separate aggregate; as, ten hundreds are one thousand.
2. A division of a country in England, supposed to have originally contained a hundred families, or freemen. Blackstone.

Hun"dred adjective

Definitions

1. Ten times ten; five score; as, a hundred dollars.