Four Hundred
1
8.9
- noun
- Archaic
:
Los Cuatrocientos
- Many members of the Four Hundred are known for their philanthropic efforts.
Examples
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And always the same Four Hundred.
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The count expects 100 of the Four Hundred.
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"Begging your pardon, sir, but the Fort will contain no more than four hundred."
Fiction book (1999) -
You think the four hundred people who've bought tickets so far will think it's funny too?
Fiction book (1999) -
Four hundred acres of gardens, woods, and fields.
Fiction book (1991) -
As the minutes dragged on, I caught myself wondering how in the world the other four hundred lawyers in the building would manage to bill while waiting for the hostage crisis to end.
Fiction book (1999) -
The Ottoman history of governing the holy city in peace, in a tolerant atmosphere, and for more than four hundred years has become a source of national dignity and a sense of pride for the Islamic world.
Academic text (2000) -
The Four Hundred includes some of the wealthiest individuals in New York City.
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Historically, the Four Hundred represented the elite social class in New York society.
Synonyms
A group of people who think they are better than others
Wealthy, powerful people who make major business or political decisions
Surface Forms
Morphology
4 + Hundred
The phrase literally reads as the number 400 and does not transparently convey the sociocultural meaning of an exclusive social set; understanding it requires specific historical/cultural knowledge (a proper-name usage) rather than composition of its parts. A B1 learner who knows the words 'four' and 'hundred' would not be able to derive the idiomatic referent from the constituents alone.
Etymology
Four Hundred may come from a story about a very rich New York hostess long ago whose ballroom could hold only 400 people, so she kept a list of who could come. So, being in the Four Hundred meant you were part of the city's 'most exclusive' social group.