ˈfɔ:tɪ n. & adj. --n. (pl. -ies) 1
the product of
four and ten. 2 a
symbol for this (40, xl, XL). 3 (in pl.) the numbers
from 40 to 49,
esp. the years of a
century or of a person's
life. 4 (the Forties)
Brit. the
sea area between the NE
coast of Scotland and the SW coast of Norway (so called from
its depth of forty fathoms or more). --adj.
that amount to forty. øforty-first, -second , etc. the
ordinal numbers between fortieth and fiftieth. forty-five a
gramophone record played at 45 r.p.m. the Forty-five the
Jacobite rebellion of 1745. forty-niner US a seeker for
gold etc., esp. in the Californian gold-rush of 1849. forty-one, -two , etc. the
cardinal numbers between forty and
fifty. forty winks colloq. a
short sleep. øøfortieth adj. & n. fortyfold adj. & adv. [OE feowertig (as FOUR, -TY(2))]