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five

(fīv)

1. The cardinal number equal to 4 + 1.

2. The fifth in a set or sequence.

3. Something, such as a quintet or a basketball team, that has five parts, units, or members.

4. A five-dollar bill.

5. fives (used with a sing. verb) Sports One of several forms of handball originating in England and played mainly at British schools and universities, in which only the receiving side can score points.

Idiom:

give me/gimme five

Used when offering a high-five, as in congratulation.

[Middle English, from Old English fīf; see penk^we in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

five adj. & pron.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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