In cricket, if a player hits a four, they score four runs by hitting the ball along the ground so that it crosses the boundary at the edge of the playing area.
Taylor hit 13 fours and batted for 140 minutes.
3. countable noun
A four is a narrow racing boat that is rowed by a team of four people.
4.
See on all fours
More Synonyms of four
four in British English
(fɔː)
noun
1.
the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one
2.
a numeral, 4, IV, etc, representing this number
3.
something representing, represented by, or consisting of four units, such as a playingcard with four symbols on it
4. Also called: four o'clock
four hours after noon or midnight
5. cricket
a.
a shot that crosses the boundary after hitting the ground
b.
the four runs scored for such a shot
6. rowing
a.
a racing shell propelled by four oarsmen pulling one oar each, with or without a cox
b.
the crew of such a shell
determiner
7.
a.
amounting to four
four thousand eggs
four times
b.
(as pronoun)
four are ready
▶ Related prefixes: , quadri-, tetra-
Word origin
Old English fēower; related to Old Frisian fiūwer, Old Norse fjōrir, Old High German fior, Latin quattuor, Greek tessares, Sanskrit catur
four in American English
(fɔr; foʊr)
adjective
1.
totaling one more than three
noun
2.
the cardinal number between three and five; 4; IV
3.
any group of four people or things
4.
something numbered four or having four units, as a playing card, face of a die, etc.
Idioms:
on all fours
Word origin
ME < OE feower, akin to Ger vier, Goth fidwōr < IE base *kwetwor- > L quattuor, Welsh pedwar
More idioms containing
four
four corners of the world
Examples of 'four' in a sentence
four
In the second half we hit four more.
The Sun (2017)
One in four people think that the maximum is at least double that.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
We have ambitions of being in the top four and winning trophies.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The figure is four times the number recorded just two years ago.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
There were nine more incidents involving between one and four birds over the next three months.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
In each episode four bakers from past series will compete against each other.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
These four players received the longest sentences.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
You could see it was a matter of time before we scored three or four.
The Sun (2017)
Up to four million people should be better off.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
They join aged four after play assessments.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
It was about three or four years ago.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
They won just one of their four matches despite being tipped as possible champions.
The Sun (2009)
The rig count has increased in four of the past five weeks.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
We brought four players in two years ago.
The Sun (2008)
You cannot simply boil health down to four numbers.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
They could only walk for four hours due to high temperatures and tricky terrain.
The Sun (2009)
The top four teams in the standings have home advantage.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
The top four has been made more difficult by other results this weekend.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
The two men continued to exchange genial insults for the next four decades.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
The board shows four minutes of added time.
The Sun (2014)
Falcons have three wins from four games.
The Sun (2016)
Around one in four teachers completed such schemes.
Yearley, Steven Science, Technology, and Social Change (1988)
He hit only six fours despite a short straight boundary and the fact that he batted through most of the powerplay overs.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
The 25-year-old scored four goals last season.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
When we score three or four, we tend to win.
The Sun (2010)
In short The secret of life is only four letters long.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
IT has definitely become much harder to live over the last four years.
The Sun (2012)
In other languages
four
British English: four /fɔː/ NUMBER
Four is the number 4.
American English: four
Arabic: أَرْبَعَ
Brazilian Portuguese: quatro
Chinese: 四
Croatian: četiri
Czech: čtyři
Danish: fire
Dutch: vier
European Spanish: cuatro
Finnish: neljä
French: quatre
German: vier
Greek: τέσσερα
Italian: quattro
Japanese: 四
Korean: 4
Norwegian: fire
Polish: cztery
European Portuguese: quatro
Romanian: patruzeci
Russian: четыре
Latin American Spanish: cuatro
Swedish: fyra
Thai: สี่
Turkish: dört
Ukrainian: чотири
Vietnamese: bốn
All related terms of 'four'
four-four
a form of simple quadruple time in which there are four crotchets to the bar, indicated by the time signature 4 4
back four
the defensive players in many modern team formations : usually two fullbacks and two centre backs
Big Four
→ the Big Four
four-door
(of a vehicle) having two doors on each side
four-eyes
a disparaging term of address for a person wearing spectacles
four-part
arranged for four voices or instruments
four-star
of high, or of the highest, quality
four-way
giving passage in four directions
two-four
a box containing 24 bottles of beer
four-by-four
a vehicle equipped with four-wheel drive
Final Four
→ the Final Four
four-bagger
→ home run
four-color
designating or of a printing process using separate plates in yellow, red, blue, and black, so as to produce any color or colors
four-colour
(of a print or photographic process) using the principle in which four colours ( magenta , cyan , yellow, and black) are used in combination to produce almost any other colour
four-cycle
relating to or designating an internal-combustion engine in which the piston makes four strokes for every explosion
four flush
a useless poker hand , containing four of a suit and one odd card
four-footed
(of animals) having or walking on four feet
four-handed
(of a card game) arranged for four players
four-legged
→ another word for four-footed
four-poster
a bed with posts at each corner supporting a canopy and curtains
four-seater
a vehicle providing seats for four people
four-square
To stand four-square behind someone or something means to be firm in your support of that person or thing.
four-stroke
relating to or designating an internal-combustion engine in which the piston makes four strokes for every explosion
four-wheel
having or running on four wheels
petit four
Petits fours are very small sweet cakes. They are sometimes served with coffee at the end of a meal .
three-four
designating or of a musical rhythm with three quarter notes to a measure
four-four time
a form of simple quadruple time in which there are four crotchets to the bar, indicated by the time signature 4 4
coxless four
a boat for four oarsman and no cox
four-engined
(of an aircraft ) having four engines
four-flusher
a person who bluffs or attempts to deceive
Four Hundred
the exclusive social set of a particular place
four-o'clock
a tropical American nyctaginaceous plant, Mirabilis jalapa , cultivated for its tubular yellow, red, or white flowers that open in late afternoon
four-walling
a form of distribution and exhibition , esp. of films, in which a distributor or producer rents a theater for a fixed amount, pays all advertising and operating costs , and collects all box-office receipts
four-by-two
a piece of timber with a cross section that measures 4 inches by 2 inches
Four-H club
a branch of a national organization that promotes education in leadership , citizenship and life skills in small towns and rural communities in the US
four-in-hand
a road vehicle drawn by four horses and driven by one driver
Gang of Four
→ the Gang of Four
May Two-Four
the Monday preceding May 24: observed in Canada as a national holiday in commemoration of the birthday of Queen Victoria
the Big Four
a small powerful group, as of banks , companies, etc, esp the four largest banks in Britain (Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds TSB, and NatWest)
two-by-four
a length of untrimmed timber with a cross section that measures 2 inches by 4 inches
flat back four
a set of four fullbacks in line formation
four-dimensional
having or specified by four dimensions , esp the three spatial dimensions and the dimension of time
four-eyed fish
either of two viviparous tropical American freshwater cyprinodont fishes , Anableps anableps or A. microlepis , that swim at the surface of the water and have half of each eye specialized for seeing in air, the other half for seeing in water
four jaw chuck
a cut of beef extending from the neck to the shoulder blade
four-way stop
an intersection of two roads with four stop signs, one facing in each direction
the Final Four
the last four teams remaining in a tournament
two-four time
a form of simple duple time in which there are two crotchet beats in each bar
first four ships
the earliest settlers ' ships to arrive in the Canterbury Province
four-course meal
A four-course meal is a meal that consists of four parts served one after the other.
four-deal bridge
a version of bridge in which four hands only are played, the players then cutting for new partners
Chinese translation of 'four'
four
(fɔːʳ)
num
四 (sì)
on all fours趴着(著) (pāzhe)
see also
five
All related terms of 'four'
four-poster
four-poster bed 有四根帷柱的床 yǒu sì gēn wéizhù de chuáng