nine-tenthsn.
/ˌnʌɪnˈtɛnθs/, U.S. /ˌnaɪnˈtɛnθs/ Nine parts out of ten; (more generally) almost all. Also written 9/ 10ths.possession is nine tenths of the law: see possession n. 1d.
ΘΚΠ
the world > relative properties > wholeness > incompleteness > part of whole > [noun] > a great part or proportion > the greater part, the majority
the more partOE
the best part ofOE
(the) more parta1350
(the) most parta1350
(the) most part alla1350
(the) most party1372
for (also be, in) the most part (also deal, party)a1387
the better part ofa1393
the mo?a1400
most forcea1400
substancea1413
corsec1420
generalty?c1430
the greater partc1430
three quartersc1470
generalityc1485
the most feck1488
corpse1533
most1553
nine-tenths?1556
better half1566
generality?1570
pluralityc1570
body1574
the great body (of)1588
flush1592
three fourths1600
best1601
heap1609
gross1625
lump1709
bulk1711
majority1714
nineteen in twenty1730
balance1747
sweighta1800
heft1816
chief1841
the force1842
thick end1847
?1556 L. Digges Tectonicon i. sig. B The last is nine tenthes of an inch: that is nine partes of an inch, diuided into ten porcions.
1657 Reasons Humbly offered to House of Commons against Addit. Duty Wines (single sheet) Our Bays, Says, Perpetuanos, &c. go Nine Tenths of them to Portugal and Spain.
1709 R. Gould Wks. II. 329 Take from their Discourse the Oaths away, And You'll Retrench Nine Tenths of all they say.
1741 S. Richardson Pamela III. xxxii. 290 Though they farm and pay to the Landlord for no more than nine Tenths of the Lands they occupy, hardly think it a Sin to cheat the Parson of his Tythe.
1785 T. Jefferson Notes Virginia xiv. 274 The sellers of the government..get nine-tenths of their price clear.
1812 R. Southey Let. to J. White 16 Feb. I apprehend that at least nine tenths of the business of B. Society relates to foreign countries.
1843 G. Borrow Bible in Spain III. vii. 133 Nine tenths of the inhabitants had left this place.
1889 J. H. Skrine Mem. E. Thring 102 A wretched nine-tenths of the place was the property of private owners.
1933 Fortune Aug. 47/3 The jazz cult is apathetic to nine-tenths of modern dance music.
1959 Amer. Polit. Sci. Rev. 53 43 I know one thing, if I made a million dollars and the government took nine-tenths of it—boy, I'd cry the blues.
1995 Independent 21 Nov. ii. 16/1 There is a paranoia because nine-tenths of churches' contact with the media comes when they are caught on the back foot.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2003; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.?1556