Does the word few mean 3?

Does the word few mean 3?

While many would agree that few means three or more, the dictionary definition is, “not many but more than one.” So, a few cannot be one, but it can be as low as two.

What does a few definition mean?

small number of
A small number of persons or things. This phrase can differ slightly from few used alone, which means “not many.” For example, The party was to end at eight, but a few stayed on indicates that a small number of guests remained, whereas The party began at eight, and few attended means that hardly any guests came.

How many is a few definition?

A few is 3 or 4. Five is 5, because it’s a round number. It’s five. If you mean 3, 4, 6, 7, etc.

Is a few 3 or 4?

Actually, no. While many people would agree that “a few” means three or more, the actual dictionary definition of “a few” is, “not many but more than one.” So, “a few” cannot be one, but it can be as low as two.

Is five a few or several?

A: “Several” is used to mean more than “some” but less than “many.” Again, there is no exact number. The dictionary says it means more than a few but not a great number. A couple means two. A handful is five.

What is the difference between a few and few?

Few means “not many (people or things).” It is used to say that there are not a lot of people or things. A few means “some (people or things).” It is used to say that there are a small number of people or things. I have a few [=some/a small number of] friends.

Is a couple 2 or 3?

3 Answers. Excellent question! The short (and rather unhelpful) answer is that while technically, “a couple” does in fact mean two, it is not always used that way in practice and if you ask several native speakers you’re likely to get different responses.

What word class is a few?

pronoun. (used with a plural verb) a small number of persons or things: A dozen people volunteered, but few have shown up.

Whats the meaning of 3?

1 : a number that is one more than 2 — see Table of Numbers. 2 : the third in a set or series the three of hearts. 3a : something having three units or members. b : three-pointer.

What is a few and few?

Both the terms “few” and a few” technically refer to more than one, so some people use them interchangeably, assuming they mean the same, but that is not correct. ‘A few’ means ‘some’, whereas ‘few’ means ‘not a lot of’.

What is the number for few?

A few is three or four. Several is up to five. A number of is indeterminate. A lot of is more than five and less than infinity.

Is a few less than a couple?

A couple is usually two (a married couple), or sometimes ‘about two’ if you are being vague (a couple of dozen, a couple of inches). A few is more than a couple, but not as many as several.

What’s the difference between ” few ” and ” several “?

Few means “not many but some,” as in “The train leaves in a few minutes,” and several denotes more than the words couple and few do but implies lesser than the word many does. One of the gripes lexicographers hear with regularity is that people don’t use words precisely or accurately.

What does understood mean in the Free Dictionary?

Understood – definition of understood by The Free Dictionary Define understood. understood synonyms, understood pronunciation, understood translation, English dictionary definition of understood. v. Past tense and past participle of understand. adj. 1. Agreed on; assumed: the understood conditions of troop withdrawal. 2.

Which is the correct word couple or few?

Verdict: couple is used of small numbers most of the time, but usually at least two or more. Few. Few is an old word, dating back to the 9th century. It has never been used of a definite number, unlike couple: from the very beginning, few was used of a comparatively small number.

What did the few do with their money?

— Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, 2 Sep. 2021 And then those same industrialists — the few that made money off gold — went into farming, first planting wheat and then diversifying.