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Glite Dictionary
great hundred

great hundred

9.9
An old way to mean 120, not 100, used when counting goods
  • noun
  • Archaic
translation icon : gran centena
  • In medieval times, a great hundred meant 120 fish or furs, not 100 as some might expect.

Examples

  • The contract specified a delivery of two great hundreds of wool.

  • A great hundred of fish were caught this season.

  • Historical records often mention the use of a great hundred in tallying goods in northern Europe.

  • In the market, a great hundred of apples were sold.

  • In medieval times, a great hundred meant 120 fish or furs, not 100 as some might expect.

  • Historical records often mention the use of a great hundred in tallying goods in northern Europe.

  • The contract specified a delivery of two great hundreds of wool.

Synonyms

120
vsgreat hundred
286 1.0

A number that is one hundred twenty

is a traditional trade name used historically in northern markets
one hundred twenty
vsgreat hundred
  • US
8 1.0

A number equal to 120, ten more than one hundred ten

is instead the older regional trade label found in historic counting
sixscore
vsgreat hundred
  • Archaic
9.9

The number one hundred and twenty

is a regional historic trade name used in northern Europe and Britain
long hundred
vsgreat hundred
  • Archaic
9.9

An old way to count that is 120

is a trade term tied to regional counting rather than a technical unit

Surface Forms

great hundred singular
great hundreds plural

Morphology

great + hundred

The sense '120' is not transparently derivable from 'great' (large/excellent) + 'hundred' (100); although 'great' may imply a larger quantity, it does not predict the specific value 120. This is an archaic, specialized counting term whose exact meaning is historically conditioned and therefore unpredictable for a B1 learner who only knows the constituent words.

Etymology

Great hundred comes from traders in the Middle Ages who often counted in dozens: ten dozens made '120', so they called that larger amount a great hundred instead of the usual '100'. That's why great hundred means '120' in old trade records.