English Explanatory Dictionary

hundreds and thousands

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. An indefinite but emphatically large number.
  2. Tiny balls or strands of multicoloured sugar, sprinkled over ice cream, desserts or party foods.

Pronunciation

/ˌhʌndɹəds n̩ ˈθaʊz(ə)ndz/ /ˌhʌndɹəds n̩ ˈθaʊz(ə)n(d)z/ En-au-hundreds and thousands.oga

Word forms

hundreds and thousands 100s and 1000s 100s & 1000s

Etymology

PIE word *ḱm̥tóm From hundreds + and + thousands. Sense 2 (“tiny balls or strands of multicoloured sugar”) is from the fact that the confectionery is made up of numerous sugar pieces.

Synonyms

nonpareil nonpareils sprinkles hundreds and thousands jimmies spreckles sugar strands

Related words

dollarette fairy bread freckle
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