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Glite Dictionary
count noun

count noun

3.9
A word for a person or thing you can count, like a book
  • noun
  • /kaʊnt naʊn/
  • Specialized
translation icon : sustantivo contable
  • An example of a count noun is 'apple', which can be counted as one apple or two apples.

Examples

  • The word 'dog' is a count noun, since you can say 'two dogs'.

  • Please give an example of a count noun and a mass noun.

  • In English, most everyday objects are referred to using count nouns.

  • A count noun can be singular or plural.

  • Examples of count nouns include 'dog' and 'cat'.

  • When learning grammar, students often find it helpful to differentiate between count nouns and mass nouns.

  • In English, a count noun can easily be made plural, such as changing 'book' to 'books'.

Surface Forms

count noun singular
count nouns plural

Morphology

count + noun

The meaning 'a noun that can be counted' is directly and compositionally derived from 'count' (to tally) + 'noun' (a word for a person/place/thing). This attributive compound/phrase follows a regular English pattern (verb/adjective + noun) and has clear equivalents in other languages (e.g., Spanish 'sustantivo contable'), so a B1 learner who knows the constituents will readily infer the meaning.

Etymology

Count noun comes from the simple image of things you can count: imagine apples in a row that you point to one by one. That's why a count noun means a noun you can 'count' and make 'plural'.