Number vs Plurality - What's the difference?
number | plurality |
(countable) An abstract entity used to describe quantity.
(countable) A numeral: a symbol for a non-negative integer
(countable, mathematics) A member of one of several classes: natural numbers, integers, rational numbers, real numbers, complex numbers, quaternions.
Indicating the position of something in a list or sequence. Abbreviations: No'' or '' (in each case, sometimes written with a superscript "o", like Nº or №). The symbol "#" is also used in this manner.
Quantity.
* {{quote-magazine, date=2013-06-08, volume=407, issue=8839, page=52, magazine=(The Economist)
, title= * Francis Bacon
A sequence of digits and letters used to register people, automobiles, and various other items.
(countable, informal) A telephone number.
* 2001 , E. Forrest Hein, The Ruach Project, Xulon Press, page 86:
* 2007 , Lindsey Nicole Isham, No Sex in the City: One Virgin's Confessions on Love, Lust, Dating, and Waiting, Kregel Publications, page 111:
(grammar) Of a word or phrase, the state of being singular, dual or plural, shown by inflection.
(now, rare, in the plural) Poetic metres; verses, rhymes.
* 1635 , (John Donne), The Triple Foole :
(countable) A performance; especially, a single song or song and dance routine within a larger show.
(countable, informal) A person
* 1968 , Janet Burroway, The dancer from the dance: a novel, Little, Brown, page 40:
* 1988 , Erica Jong, Serenissima, Dell, page 214:
* 2005 , Denise A. Agnew, Kate Hill & Arianna Hart, By Honor Bound, Ellora's Cave Publishing, page 207:
(countable, informal) An item of clothing, particularly a stylish one
* 2007 , Cesca Martin, Agony Angel: So You Think You've Got Problems..., Troubador Publishing Ltd, page 134:
* 2007 , Lorelei James, Running with the Devil, Samhain Publishing, Ltd, page 46:
(slang, chiefly, US) A marijuana cigarette, or joint; also, a quantity of marijuana bought form a dealer.
* 2009 , (Thomas Pynchon), Inherent Vice , Vintage 2010, page 12:
(dated) An issue of a periodical publication.
To label (items) with numbers; to assign numbers to (items).
To total or count; to amount to.
(numb)
(uncountable) The state of being plural.
(ecclesiastical) The holding of multiple benefices.
* 1644 , (John Milton), Aeropagitica :
(countable) A state of being numerous.
(countable) A number or part of a whole which is greater than any other number or part, but not necessarily a majority.
(countable) A number of votes for a single candidate or position which is greater than the number of votes gained by any other single candidate or position voted for, but which is less than a majority of valid votes cast.
* 1977 September 8, "Crime against clarity", editorial, , page 14 [http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=818zAAAAIBAJ&sjid=TiMIAAAAIBAJ&pg=1343,2352985]:
(countable) A margin by which a number exceeds another number, especially of votes.
* 1948 December 10, "President Race Ignored by 683,382 Voters", , page A-2 [http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=acQcAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ulcEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6598,2141245]:
(countable) A group of many entities: a large number.
(countable) A group composed of more than one entity.
* 1989 , United States Patent 5065364, abstract:
(of spouses) polygamy.
In countable terms the difference between number and plurality
is that number is a performance; especially, a single song or song and dance routine within a larger show while plurality is a group composed of more than one entity.As a verb number
is to label (items) with numbers; to assign numbers to (items).As an adjective number
is comparative of numb.number
English
Alternative forms
* (l) (obsolete)Etymology 1
(etyl) .Noun
(en noun)The new masters and commanders, passage=From the ground, Colombo’s port does not look like much.
- Number itself importeth not much in armies where the people are of weak courage.
- “[...] I wonder if you could get hold of him and have him call me here at Interior. I’m in my office, do you have my number ?”
- When I agreed to go surfing with him he said, “Great, can I have your number'?” Well, I don’t give my ' number to guys I don’t know.
- Griefe brought to numbers cannot be so fierce, / For, he tames it, that fetters it in verse.
- I laughed. "Don't doubt that. She's a saucy little number ."
- "Signorina Jessica," says the maid, a saucy little number , "your father has gone to his prayers and demands that you come to the synagogue at once [...]"
- He had to focus on the mission, staying alive and getting out, not on the sexy number rubbing up against him.
- The trouble was I was wearing my backless glittering number from the night before underneath, so unless I could persuade the office it was National Fancy Dress Day I was doomed to sweat profusely in bottle blue.
- "I doubt the sexy number you wore earlier tonight fell from the sky."
- Back at his place again, Doc rolled a number , put on a late movie, found an old T-shirt, and sat tearing it up into short strips
- the latest number of a magazine
Synonyms
* (mathematical number) scalarHyponyms
* See alsoDerived terms
* abundant number * algebraic number * binary number * cardinal number * complex number * decimal number * deficient number * do a number on * have someone's number * hexadecimal number * house number * hyperreal number * hypercomplex number * imaginary number * irrational number * meandric number * natural number * nice round number * number-cruncher * number-crunching * number field * number line * number one * number two * number theory * numberless * ordinal number * opposite number * perfect number * phone number * prime number * rational number * real number * round number * serial number * surreal number * take a number * telephone number * transcendental number * transfinite number * whole number * without number * (number)See also
* (grammatical numbers) singular,? dual,? trial,? quadral,? paucal,? pluralVerb
(en verb)- Number the baskets so that we can find them easily.
- I don’t know how many books are in the library, but they must number in the thousands.
Derived terms
* number amongSee also
*Etymology 2
From numb + .Adjective
(head)plurality
English
Noun
- It was the complaint and lamentation of Prelats, upon every least breath of a motion to remove pluralities , and distribute more equally Church revennu's, that then all learning would be for ever dasht and discourag'd.
- To repeal the tax (Question I), a 50 per cent majority vote is required. To keep the tax in its 1976 form (Question III), only a plurality of votes is required.
- Truman's total vote was 24,104,836. Dewey received 21,969,500;. Truman won by a plurality of 2,135,336, but it was the first time since 1916 that a winner has failed to capture a majority of all votes cast.
- A plurality of ideas were put forth at the meeting, most of which were rejected out of hand.
- The array is organized into a plurality of vertical (column) blocks.