sixteen
pronunciation
How to pronounce sixteen in British English:
UK [ˌsɪksˈtiːn]
How to pronounce sixteen in American English:
US [ˌsɪksˈtiːn]
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- Noun:
- the cardinal number that is the sum of fifteen and one
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- Adjective:
- being one more than fifteen
Word Origin
- sixteen
- Old English sixtyne, from siex (see six) + -teen. Similar formation in Old Frisian sextine, Middle Dutch sestien, Dutch zestien, German sechszehn, Old Norse sextan. The age of the gods is always sixteen. Sixteen represents the number of perfection, of plenitude. In man it is after the sixteenth year that the first elements of decay begin to appear, and when the moon reaches the sixteenth digit it begins to decrease. [Alain Daniélou, "The Myths and Gods of India"] From Latin contracted form sexdecim, sedecim come Italian sedici, French seize.
Example
- 1. Sixteen years later , the war is still raging .
- 2. Sixteen years later the timing looks better .
- 3. Sixteen years ago I was doing commercial photography .
- 4. Twenty plus sixteen equals thirty-six .
- 5. Didn 't he have to leave ireland when he was only sixteen ?