Number Ten
1
4.6
- noun
- UK
:
Número Diez
- Mr. Churchill, welcome to Number Ten.
Examples
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Number ten's out in front.
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Alex says number ten is sure to win.
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Alicia tells me you had a bet on number ten.
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Not ze number eleven house, not ze number nine house - ze one in the middle, number ten!
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This draws a couple of comments noting that the doorknob-in-the-middle thing is an English affectation and points to the Prime Minister's residence at Number Ten Downing St. as an example:
Blog text (21) -
The Prime Minister was addressing the nation from Number Ten during the live broadcast.
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After visiting Number Ten, the reporter shared her insights about the government's plans.
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Everyone at the football match was excited to see the star player wearing the number ten jersey.
Synonyms
522
3.2
The head of a country's government who leads the cabinet and decides policy
78
5.5
A person who leads a country's government, for example a prime minister
6
3.5
A name used for the British government, especially the Prime Minister, their office and staff
The head of a country's government, for example in the United Kingdom
A senior government minister responsible for economic strategy, usually the prime minister
Surface Forms
Morphology
number + Ten
The literal composition 'number' + 'ten' yields the easily derivable idea of the numeral 10, so a B1 learner would grasp a literal/address sense (e.g. No. 10). However the extended, metonymic uses—especially as a nickname for the UK Prime Minister or the Prime Minister's residence—are culture-specific and not predictable from the parts alone; the sports sense (the player wearing number 10) is more inferable. Because part of the meaning is transparent while the institutional/metonymic senses require prior cultural knowledge, this is best classified as semi-transparent.
Etymology
Number Ten comes from the house number 10 Downing Street, the official home and office of the 'Prime Minister' in Britain. Because people often use the address to mean the person who works there, Number Ten came to mean the Prime Minister or their office. In sport the shirt 'number 10' was worn by the player who leads the team's attacks, so Number Ten also means a key creative player.