twenty

Alternative forms

• Arabic numerals: 20 (see for numerical forms in other scripts)
• Roman numerals: XX

Etymology

From Middle English twenty, twenti, from Old English twēntiġ (“twenty”, literally “two tens”), from Proto-Germanic *twaintigiwiz, *twai tigiwiz, an old compound of *twain- (“two”) +‎ *-tigaz (“group of ten”), equivalent to two +‎ -ty, or twain +‎ -ty. Cognate with Scots twenty, tuenty (“twenty”), West Frisian tweintich (“twenty”), Dutch twintig (“twenty”), German zwanzig (“twenty”), Danish tyve.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈtwɛnti/
• (General American) enPR: twĕnʹtē, twŭnʹtē, IPA^(key): /ˈtwɛnti/, [ˈtʰʍɛɾ̃i]
• (US, nonstandard) enPR: two͝onʹtē, IPA^(key): /ˈtwʌnti/, /ˈtwʊnti/, [ˈtʰʍʌɾ̃i], [ˈtʰʍʊɾ̃i]

• Audio (UK)

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• Audio (US)

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• Rhymes: -ɛnti, -ʌnti

Numeral

twenty

1. The cardinal number 20, occurring after nineteen and before twenty-one.

Noun

twenty (plural twenties)

1. (colloquial) A banknote with a denomination of 20.

   The waiter’s face lit up when I gave him a twenty.

2. (CB slang) 10-20 (location).

   What’s your twenty, good buddy?

3. (military) A set of twenty push-ups.

   Drop and give me twenty, Ric! (Recruit.)