NYT Dictionary

FIVE

/ˈfaɪ̯v/
NumeralNounFIVEfive · 1 syllableGrade 3

Accepted in official NYT Spelling Bee puzzle years: 2022, 2023, 2024

Meaning

A numerical value equal to 5; the number following four and preceding six.

Etymology

Origin: Old English

PIE word *pénkʷe Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *pénkʷe Proto-Germanic *fimf Proto-West Germanic *fimf Old English fīf Middle English fyf English five From Middle English fyf, fyve, from Old English fīf (“five”), from Proto-West Germanic *fimf (“five”), from Proto-Germanic *fimf (“five”), from Proto-Indo-European *pénkʷe. See also West Frisian fiif, Dutch vijf, German fünf, Norwegian and Swedish fem, Icelandic fimm; also Welsh pump, Latin quinque, Tocharian A päñ, Tocharian B piś, Lithuanian penki, Russian пять (pjatʹ), Albanian pesë, pêsë, Ancient Greek πέντε (pénte), Armenian հինգ (hing), Persian پنج (panj), Sanskrit पञ्च (páñca). Doublet of cinque, fin (“five currency units”), finnuf, pimp (“five”), ponzu, punch (“beverage”), and sengi (“currency”); related to Pompeii. The nasal *m in Proto-Germanic *fimf was lost through a sound change known as the Ingvaeonic nasal spirant law.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Synonyms

fivervcinquequintquintetfivesomequintupletpentadfinphoebe

NYT Puzzle Appearances

Accepted in 3 recorded puzzles:

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