"four score and seven years ago" meaning in English

See four score and seven years ago in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Adverb

IPA: /ˈfɔː skɔː‿ɹən ˌsɛvən jɪəz əˌɡəʊ/ [Received-Pronunciation], /ˈfɔɹ skɔɹ ən ˌsɛvən jɪɹz əˌɡoʊ/ [General-American] Audio: En-au-four score and seven years ago.ogg [Australia]
Etymology: Literally, “87 years ago” (score sense: “group of 20”) the beginning of the Gettysburg Address made on November 19, 1863, by United States President Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865). The widespread familiarity of Lincoln’s address, the unusual and poetic wording, and its status as the first words of the speech have caused the phrase to enter the public consciousness. Etymology templates: {{m-g|87 years ago}} “87 years ago”, {{lit|87 years ago}} Literally, “87 years ago”, {{m|en|score}} score Head templates: {{en-adv|-|head=four score and seven years ago}} four score and seven years ago (not comparable)
  1. (idiomatic, often humorous) Used (sometimes sarcastically) to indicate that a past event being mentioned is particularly important: a long time ago; many years ago. Wikipedia link: Abraham Lincoln, Gettysburg Address Tags: humorous, idiomatic, not-comparable, often Categories (topical): American Civil War, Four, Historical events, Historical numbers, Past, Seven, Time Synonyms: fourscore and seven years ago, four score seven years ago
    Sense id: en-four_score_and_seven_years_ago-en-adv-mW~rc5hN Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, Undetermined quotations with omitted translation

Alternative forms

Download JSON data for four score and seven years ago meaning in English (4.9kB)

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  "etymology_templates": [
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      "args": {
        "1": "87 years ago"
      },
      "expansion": "“87 years ago”",
      "name": "m-g"
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    {
      "args": {
        "1": "87 years ago"
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      "expansion": "Literally, “87 years ago”",
      "name": "lit"
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    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "score"
      },
      "expansion": "score",
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  ],
  "etymology_text": "Literally, “87 years ago” (score sense: “group of 20”) the beginning of the Gettysburg Address made on November 19, 1863, by United States President Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865). The widespread familiarity of Lincoln’s address, the unusual and poetic wording, and its status as the first words of the speech have caused the phrase to enter the public consciousness.",
  "head_templates": [
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      "args": {
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      "name": "en-adv"
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  "hyphenation": [
    "four"
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  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adv",
  "senses": [
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      "categories": [
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          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
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        {
          "kind": "topical",
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          "name": "Historical numbers",
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          "kind": "topical",
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        {
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          "name": "Time",
          "orig": "en:Time",
          "parents": [
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
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          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1936 April 16, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Address at the Dedication of the New Department of the Interior Building",
          "text": "It was established four score and seven years ago, and since that time its activities have been intertwined with the internal development of the Nation itself.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2010 December 23, Phillip Roth, “Prologue”, in The Great American Novel, page 21",
          "text": "I imagined momentarily that it was four score and seven years ago, that I had just been brought forth from my mother […]",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2012 February 20, Vicky DeCoster, “The Letter”, in The Wacky World of Womanhood, page 93",
          "text": "Four score and seven years ago, I began writing an annual letter to be enclosed in my Christmas cards.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Used (sometimes sarcastically) to indicate that a past event being mentioned is particularly important: a long time ago; many years ago."
      ],
      "id": "en-four_score_and_seven_years_ago-en-adv-mW~rc5hN",
      "links": [
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        ],
        [
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          "indicate#English"
        ],
        [
          "past",
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        ],
        [
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          "event#English"
        ],
        [
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          "mention#Verb"
        ],
        [
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        ],
        [
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        [
          "time",
          "time#Noun"
        ],
        [
          "many",
          "many"
        ],
        [
          "year",
          "year"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic, often humorous) Used (sometimes sarcastically) to indicate that a past event being mentioned is particularly important: a long time ago; many years ago."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "fourscore and seven years ago"
        },
        {
          "word": "four score seven years ago"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "humorous",
        "idiomatic",
        "not-comparable",
        "often"
      ],
      "wikipedia": [
        "Abraham Lincoln",
        "Gettysburg Address"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈfɔː skɔː‿ɹən ˌsɛvən jɪəz əˌɡəʊ/",
      "tags": [
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈfɔɹ skɔɹ ən ˌsɛvən jɪɹz əˌɡoʊ/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "En-au-four score and seven years ago.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/9/95/En-au-four_score_and_seven_years_ago.ogg/En-au-four_score_and_seven_years_ago.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/95/En-au-four_score_and_seven_years_ago.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Australia"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (AU)"
    }
  ],
  "word": "four score and seven years ago"
}
{
  "etymology_templates": [
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      "args": {
        "1": "87 years ago"
      },
      "expansion": "“87 years ago”",
      "name": "m-g"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "87 years ago"
      },
      "expansion": "Literally, “87 years ago”",
      "name": "lit"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "score"
      },
      "expansion": "score",
      "name": "m"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Literally, “87 years ago” (score sense: “group of 20”) the beginning of the Gettysburg Address made on November 19, 1863, by United States President Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865). The widespread familiarity of Lincoln’s address, the unusual and poetic wording, and its status as the first words of the speech have caused the phrase to enter the public consciousness.",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "-",
        "head": "four score and seven years ago"
      },
      "expansion": "four score and seven years ago (not comparable)",
      "name": "en-adv"
    }
  ],
  "hyphenation": [
    "four"
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adv",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
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        "English entries with incorrect language header",
        "English humorous terms",
        "English idioms",
        "English lemmas",
        "English multiword terms",
        "English terms with IPA pronunciation",
        "English terms with audio links",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English uncomparable adverbs",
        "Undetermined quotations with omitted translation",
        "Undetermined terms with quotations",
        "en:American Civil War",
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        "en:Seven",
        "en:Time"
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        {
          "ref": "1936 April 16, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Address at the Dedication of the New Department of the Interior Building",
          "text": "It was established four score and seven years ago, and since that time its activities have been intertwined with the internal development of the Nation itself.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2010 December 23, Phillip Roth, “Prologue”, in The Great American Novel, page 21",
          "text": "I imagined momentarily that it was four score and seven years ago, that I had just been brought forth from my mother […]",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2012 February 20, Vicky DeCoster, “The Letter”, in The Wacky World of Womanhood, page 93",
          "text": "Four score and seven years ago, I began writing an annual letter to be enclosed in my Christmas cards.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Used (sometimes sarcastically) to indicate that a past event being mentioned is particularly important: a long time ago; many years ago."
      ],
      "links": [
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        [
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        ],
        [
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        ],
        [
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        ],
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        [
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        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic, often humorous) Used (sometimes sarcastically) to indicate that a past event being mentioned is particularly important: a long time ago; many years ago."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "humorous",
        "idiomatic",
        "not-comparable",
        "often"
      ],
      "wikipedia": [
        "Abraham Lincoln",
        "Gettysburg Address"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈfɔː skɔː‿ɹən ˌsɛvən jɪəz əˌɡəʊ/",
      "tags": [
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈfɔɹ skɔɹ ən ˌsɛvən jɪɹz əˌɡoʊ/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "En-au-four score and seven years ago.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/9/95/En-au-four_score_and_seven_years_ago.ogg/En-au-four_score_and_seven_years_ago.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/95/En-au-four_score_and_seven_years_ago.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Australia"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (AU)"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "fourscore and seven years ago"
    },
    {
      "word": "four score seven years ago"
    }
  ],
  "word": "four score and seven years ago"
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-04-30 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-04-21 using wiktextract (210104c and c9440ce). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

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