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a·mount

amount

 
 
pronunciation:
maUnt
features:
Word Combinations (noun), Language Note, Word History, Word Explorer
part of speech: noun
definition: measure; quantity.
He put a small amount of butter on his bread.What amount of money is in the account?
synonyms:
portion, quantity
similar words:
deal, lot, volume
Word CombinationsSubscriber feature About this feature
Language Note
Amount or number? Which word is right for your sentence? Use amount when you are telling how much there is of something that cannot be counted in numbers.
A large amount of lava shot out of the volcano.
Use number when you are telling how many there are of something that can be counted.
A great number of rocks tumbled down the mountain.
Remember , the word quantity may be used both with things that can be counted and with things that cannot be counted.
Antarctica is covered by a great quantity of ice. A large quantity of penguins live in that frigid land.
Word History
Amount comes from amonter, an early French word that means "to go up" or "rise." The French word is from a Latin phrase that means "to the mountain."
Word Explorer
See
  measurement