hundred
hundred — number
1. the number that comes after ninety-nine and before a hundred and one, written as
the number that comes after ninety-nine and before a hundred and one, written as 100
Christopher counted a hundred jellybeans into the jar for the school fair.
a hundred + countable noun for exact quantity
The thermometer in the garden reached one hundred degrees at midday.
A hundred people attended the wedding of Jude and Manuela last Saturday.
a hundred [plural noun] for exact headcount
Tanvi raised a hundred dollars to buy new books for the school library.
- a hundred
- one hundred
- a hundred [noun]
- one hundred [noun]
Common Mistakes
2. a large number of people or things, often used with some exaggeration to show th
a large number of people or things, often used with some exaggeration to show that the speaker is surprised or annoyed by how many there are
Rin told herself a hundred times about the dentist appointment, yet arrived an hour late.
a hundred + [noun] for exaggerated repetition
Hundreds of fans waited outside the theatre to see the band arrive.
hundreds of + plural noun for large crowd
The charity received hundreds of donations within the first week.
Ilan has told that same joke a hundred times, but Ayana still laughs.
- hundreds of
- a hundred times
- hundreds of thousands
Grammar Patterns
a hundred + noun
hundreds of + noun
Usage Note
Often used in an exaggerated way. When a speaker says 'a hundred times', they usually mean 'many times' rather than exactly 100.
Common Mistakes
3. used after a number such as two, three, or several to show a quantity between on
used after a number such as two, three, or several to show a quantity between one hundred and nine hundred and ninety-nine
Ayana invited two hundred guests to her daughter's birthday party.
two hundred + [noun] for a quantity around 200
Several hundred runners finished the race despite the heavy rain.
several hundred + [noun] for an approximate quantity
The factory in Hoa's hometown employs four hundred workers.
The library added three hundred new titles to its children's section.
- two hundred
- three hundred
- several hundred
- a few hundred
Grammar Patterns
[number word] + hundred + [noun]
Usage Note
The noun that follows 'hundred' stays in its plural form without adding an -s to 'hundred' itself: 'two hundred people' (not 'two hundreds people').
Common Mistakes
4. used after the word 'the' with a plural -s ending to name all the years that fal
used after the word 'the' with a plural -s ending to name all the years that fall inside one complete century, for example the eighteen hundreds meaning 1800–1899
Most families in the eighteen hundreds travelled by horse, as cars were not yet invented.
the eighteen hundreds for the 19th century
The early nineteen hundreds saw the invention of the first airplane.
In the seventeen hundreds, European thinkers debated reason and freedom in coffee houses.
In the fifteen hundreds, European explorers sailed across the Atlantic to reach the Americas.
the fifteen hundreds for the 16th century
- the eighteen hundreds
- the nineteen hundreds
- the seventeen hundreds
- the early [year] hundreds
Grammar Patterns
the [year] hundreds
Usage Note
Do not confuse the century number with the year range. 'The nineteen hundreds' means 1900–1999, which is the twentieth century. 'The eighteen hundreds' means 1800–1899, the nineteenth century.
Common Mistakes
5. used in the twenty-four-hour clock system to say what time it is, especially in
used in the twenty-four-hour clock system to say what time it is, especially in military and aviation settings
The sergeant told the recruits to be ready at zero six hundred hours.
zero six hundred hours for 6 AM
The flight to Tokyo will depart at fourteen hundred hours from gate seven.
Roya's training session on the base starts at fifteen hundred hours sharp.
fifteen hundred hours for 3 PM
The naval exercise began at zero eight hundred hours in calm waters.
- hundred hours
- zero [digit] hundred
- [number] hundred hours
Grammar Patterns
[hour] + hundred + hours
Usage Note
Pronunciation follows a fixed pattern: read the hour as a two-digit number followed by 'hundred'. Zero six hundred = 06:00 (6 AM). Fourteen hundred = 14:00 (2 PM). The word 'hours' is usually added in official military communication but may be dropped in casual military speech.
Common Mistakes
To try as hard as you can, or even harder than expected.
Maya gave a hundred per cent in every practice this season.
If you give a hundred and ten per cent, you will succeed.
Completely or in every possible way.
Diego is not a hundred per cent sure about the plan.
My parents support me one hundred per cent in my studies.
Almost always or in nearly every instance.
Ninety-nine times out of a hundred, the train arrives on time.
Sara chooses the salad option ninety-nine times out of a hundred.
hundred — noun
1. the number that equals ten multiplied by ten, considered as a countable unit or
the number that equals ten multiplied by ten, considered as a countable unit or concept
Élise taught her little brother how to count by hundreds.
count by hundreds for skip-counting
When the math teacher asked, Kian answered that two thousand has twenty hundreds.
how many hundreds in a larger number
Reema showed her cousin that a hundred is a one with two zeros after it.
The teacher wrote the numbers in the hundreds place on the whiteboard for the class.
- count by hundreds
- in hundreds
Grammar Patterns
count by hundreds
[number] hundreds
Usage Note
In counting or arithmetic contexts, 'hundred' behaves as a regular countable noun: 'one hundred, two hundreds, three hundreds' etc.
2. a very large, often unspecified number of people or things
a very large, often unspecified number of people or things
Hundreds of volunteers helped clean the park after the storm.
hundreds of + [noun] for unspecified large quantity
Hundreds of letters arrived at the hospital for the injured children.
The earthquake left hundreds of families without a home to return to.
Hundreds of students lined up to register for the popular new course.
- hundreds of
- hundreds of thousands
- thousands of
suggests an even larger quantity, in the thousands rather than the hundreds
- a great many
more formal expression for a large number
Grammar Patterns
hundreds of + [plural noun]
Usage Note
Use the singular form 'a hundred' when you mean approximately 100; use the plural 'hundreds' when you mean an unspecified but clearly large number, typically more than 200.
Common Mistakes
3. the range of numbers from one hundred to nine hundred and ninety-nine, especiall
the range of numbers from one hundred to nine hundred and ninety-nine, especially when contrasting with smaller or larger ranges
The price of a used car is usually in the hundreds, not the thousands.
in the hundreds for price range
Adisa's house number is in the hundreds, so he lives far down the street.
Nikos asked the teacher for extra practice adding numbers in the hundreds.
Temperature readings this week stayed in the hundreds across the region.
- in the hundreds
- the low hundreds
- the mid hundreds
- the high hundreds
Grammar Patterns
in the hundreds
Usage Note
Always used with a definite article: 'the hundreds'. Compare with 'the tens', 'the thousands' for similar range references.
Common Mistakes
4. a piece of American paper money that is worth one hundred dollars; a one-hundred
a piece of American paper money that is worth one hundred dollars; a one-hundred-dollar bill
Jude paid for the new sofa with three hundreds from his savings.
a hundred for a 100-dollar bill
The shopkeeper asked Ayana if she had anything smaller than a hundred.
Christopher's grandmother gave him a crisp hundred for his birthday.
The cashier checked the hundred carefully to make sure it was real.
- a hundred
- in hundreds
- crisp hundred
- break a hundred
- C-note
slang term for a $100 bill, less common in everyday speech
Grammar Patterns
a hundred
[number] hundreds
Usage Note
This term is specific to US currency. In casual American English, 'a hundred' always means a $100 bill. In British English, a £100 note is also sometimes called 'a hundred', but it is less commonly used in everyday transactions.
5. a historical division of a county in England or parts of the United States, used
a historical division of a county in England or parts of the United States, used in the past for local government, taxation, and legal matters
The county of Sussex was divided into six hundreds for tax collection.
[county] + hundred for an administrative division
In medieval England each hundred held its own court for minor disputes.
Historians study the records of each hundred to understand local life in the past.
The Worthing hundred was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086.
- the [name] hundred
- [county] hundred court
Grammar Patterns
the [name] hundred
[county] hundred
Usage Note
This is a historical term that no longer has an official administrative function in modern England. However, the term survives in some place names (e.g., 'Chiltern Hundreds') and in traditional legal references. In the United States, similar divisions existed in colonial Delaware and Pennsylvania.