multitude

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Old French multitude, from Latin multitūdō.

Pronunciation
  • (UK) IPA(key): /ˈmʌltɪtjuːd/
  • Audio (US)(file)

Noun

multitude (plural multitudes)

  1. A great amount or number, often of people; myriad; profusion; abundance.
    • 1855, Whitman, Walt, “Song of Myself”, in Leaves of Grass, book III, section 51:
      Do I contradict myself? / Very well then I contradict myself, / (I am large, I contain multitudes.)
    • 1922 February, James Joyce, “[[Episode 12: The Cyclops]]”, in Ulysses, Paris: Shakespeare & Co.; Sylvia Beach, OCLC 560090630; republished London: Published for the Egoist Press, London by John Rodker, Paris, October 1922, OCLC 2297483:
      A torrential rain poured down from the floodgates of the angry heavens upon the bared heads of the assembled multitude which numbered at the lowest computation five hundred thousand persons.
    • 1960, P[elham] G[renville] Wodehouse, chapter XIV, in Jeeves in the Offing, London: Herbert Jenkins, OCLC 1227855:
      “Well, let's hope you're right, darling. In the meantime,” said Kipper, “if I don't get that whisky-and-soda soon, I shall disintegrate. Would you mind if I went in search of it, Mrs Travers?” “It's the very thing I was about to suggest myself. Dash along and drink your fill, my unhappy young stag at eve.” “I'm feeling rather like a restorative, too,” said Bobbie. “Me also,” I said, swept along on the tide of the popular movement. “Though I would advise,” I said, when we were outside, “making it port. More authority. We'll look in on Swordfish. He will provide.” We found Pop Glossop in his pantry polishing silver, and put in our order. He seemed a little surprised at the inrush of such a multitude, but on learning that our tongues were hanging out obliged with a bottle of the best [...]
  2. The mass of ordinary people; the populace or the masses
    • Pilate, wishing to please the multitude, released Barabbas to them.

Synonyms

Derived terms

Translations
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French

Etymology

From Old French multitude, borrowed from Latin multitudo.

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /myl.ti.tyd/
  • audio(file)

Noun

multitude f (plural multitudes)

  1. multitude

Further reading

Old French

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin multitudo.

Noun

multitude f (oblique plural multitudes, nominative singular multitude, nominative plural multitudes)

  1. crowd of people
  2. diversity; wide range

Descendants
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