six

views updated May 17 2018

six / siks/ • cardinal number equivalent to the product of two and three; one more than five, or four less than ten; 6: she's lived here six months six of the people arrested have been charged a six-week tour. (Roman numeral: vi, VI.) ∎  a group or unit of six people or things. ∎  six years old: a child of six. ∎  six o'clock: it's half past six. ∎  a size of garment or other merchandise denoted by six. ∎  a playing card or domino with six pips.PHRASES: at sixes and sevens in a state of total confusion or disarray.six feet under inf. dead and buried.six of one and half a dozen of the other used to convey that there is little real difference between two alternatives.

six

views updated Jun 27 2018

six Six Counties the counties of Northern Ireland, Antrim, Armagh, Down, Londonderry, Tyrone, and Fermanagh, which by the Treaty of 1920 were constituted as a separate province.
Six Day War a war, 5–10 June 1967, in which Israel occupied Sinai, the Old City of Jerusalem, the West Bank, and the Golan Heights and defeated an Egyptian, Jordanian, and Syrian alliance. Arab name June War.
six hours' sleep for a man, seven for a woman, and eight for a fool proverbial saying, early 17th century, implying that the more sleep a person needs, the less vigorous and effective they are likely to be. (In the late 20th century, it was widely reported that Margaret Thatcher when British Prime Minister habitually slept for only four hours a night.)
six of one and half a dozen of the other a traditional saying, mid 19th century; meaning that there is little or nothing to choose between two sides.

See also deep-six, hit someone for six, sixes.

six

views updated Jun 08 2018

six OE. siex, syx, se(o)x = OS., OHG. sehs (Du. zes, G. sechs), ON. sex, Goth. saihs :- Gmc. *seks, varying in IE. with *sweks, and repr. by L. sex, Gr. héx, OIr. , W. chwech, etc.
So sixth (-TH2) new formation repl. sixt(e), OE. siexta = OS., OHG. sehsto, ON. setti, Goth. saihsta. sixteen OE. siextīene. sixteenth (-TH2). repl. OE. syxtēoða. sixty (-TY1), sixtieth (-ETH). OE. siextiġ, siextiġoða.