hundreds and thousands

ˌhʌndɹəds n̩ ˈθaʊz(ə)ndz

2 definitions

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#1·8h ago

An indefinite but emphatically large number.

1864 September 12, W. T. Sherman, letter to James M. Calhoun, E. E. Rawson and S. C. Wells, representing City Council of Atlanta, published in 1865, Joel Tyler Headley, Grant and Sherman: Their Campaigns and Generals, 2008, [https://book…

Origin: [[File:Nonpareils.jpg|thumb|Hundreds and thousands (sense 2), also known as nonpareils, on a chocolate drop.]] From . Sense 2 (“tiny balls or strands of multicoloured sugar”) is from the fact that the confectionery is made up of numerous sugar pieces. Origin information sourced from Wiktionary contributors (CC BY-SA 4.0).

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#2·8h ago

(UK, Ireland, Commonwealth) Tiny balls or strands of multicoloured sugar, sprinkled over ice cream, desserts or party foods.

: I myself have seen in Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Mississippi, hundreds and thousands of women and children fleeing from your armies and desperadoes, hungry, and with bleeding feet.

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