thirty-eight

noun

thir·​ty-eight ˌthər-tē-ˈāt How to pronounce thirty-eight (audio)
1
: a number that is one more than 37 see Table of Numbers
2
: a .38 caliber handgun
usually written .38
thirty-eight adjective
thirty-eight pronoun, plural in construction

Examples of thirty-eight in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Among young Republicans, defined as those born after 1980, the margin was thirty-eight points. Eyal Press, New Yorker, 30 May 2025 Intisar, who was thirty-eight, was jovial and well known around the neighborhood for having two pairs of twins. Nicolas Niarchos, New Yorker, 19 May 2025 Pedro Escobar Blanco, one of two hundred and thirty-eight Venezuelans deported by the Trump Administration to a maximum-security prison in El Salvador on March 15th, never met the lawyer who is representing him in U.S. immigration court. Jonathan Blitzer, New Yorker, 2 May 2025 But crowds of the devout held nightly recitations of the Rosary in St. Peter’s Square, and he was finally discharged on Sunday, March 23rd, after thirty-eight days. Paul Elie, New Yorker, 17 Apr. 2025 John Barelli worked in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s security department for thirty-eight years and served as its chief from 2001 until 2016. Alex Scordelis, The New Yorker, 17 Mar. 2025 Gaga is thirty-eight now—a grande dame in pop years. Rachel Syme, The New Yorker, 12 Mar. 2025 The Sisters of Mary Morning Star are much younger—the average age is thirty-eight. Lawrence Wright, The New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2025 The film also features thirty-eight top New York and Latvian theater actors in supporting roles, adding depth and authenticity to the project. Jamie Lang, Variety, 30 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1541, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of thirty-eight was circa 1541

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Cite this Entry

“Thirty-eight.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thirty-eight. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.

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