1 (Mat) número (m) think of a number, any number piensa un número, uno cualquiera; an even/odd number un número par/impar
she's got the numbers to prove it a sheet of paper covered in numbers
to do sth by numbers or by the numbers (US) hacer algo como es debido
he had obviously learned this by numbers as a drill it is a safe book, a presidential memoir by numbers, respectable and earnest to paint [by] numbers
painting by numbers pintar siguiendo los números so much has been done for us already by the composer it does sometimes seem a bit like painting by numbers [to] the number of some 200 alrededor de doscientos
to play the numbers (US) jugar a la lotería the loser was desperately spreading chips all over the table, playing the numbers, the colors, and taking odd-even bets I ate lunch alone in a dark bar and played the numbers for a quarter every week
2 (identification number) [of house, room, page] also (Telec) número (m); [of car] (also registration number) matrícula (f) we live at number 15 vivimos en el número 15; my number is 414 3925 mi (número de) teléfono es el 414 3925; the number 49 bus el autobús número 49; I don't know her room number no sé su número de habitación; did you get his number? ¿has apuntado la matrícula?
his book is number two in the best seller lists I dialled his number that bullet had his number on it!
his number came up (in lottery, raffle) su número salió premiado
reference number número de referencia phone 0800 616611, quoting reference number:472-0621-2 you will be given a booking reference number
Number Ten (Britain) (Pol) la casa del Primer Ministro británico is such a man fit for Number Ten? he emerged from Number Ten a few minutes later
you've got the wrong number (Telec) se ha equivocado de número
to have sb's number I've got his number now ya lo tengo calado (informal)
his number is up le ha llegado la hora if your number's up, there's nothing you can do about it
3 (in hierarchy) it's (at) number three in the charts está tercero or es el número tres en la lista de éxitos
and at number one in the charts today is ... he's currently number two in the rankings number four in the charts is ...
number one she's the world number one es la campeona mundial; the number one Spanish player el mejor jugador español; el número uno de los jugadores españoles; I'm your number one fan soy su más rendido admirador; it's my number one priority es lo más importante para mí
Paula is the only artist to achieve four number ones from a debut album
he's my number two es mi inferior inmediato
to look after or look out for number one anteponer el propio interés he only thinks of number one solo piensa en sí mismo
my priority is to look out for number one - to create a lifestyle I'm happy with I know as well as everybody else that there's not a whole lot of work out there, and I'll be looking out for number one it is not good to look out for number one at the expense of everybody else
4 (quantity, amount) número (m) equal numbers of women and men el mismo número de mujeres y hombres; the slump in student numbers la caída en picado del número de estudiantes
we were brought in to swell the numbers the [total] number of claims was ... the total number of days lost through strikes is 3,542,000 insurance companies are bracing for a record number of claims there are only a limited number of places thanks to the low number of exam failures this year ...
a number of (several) varios on a number of occasions en varias ocasiones; a number of people have mentioned it varias personas lo han mencionado
there were a number of faults in the machine there are a number of things which ...
in a large number of cases en muchos casos; en un gran número de casos
a large number large numbers of people
in a small number of cases en contados or unos pocos casos; I've had a fair/an enormous number of letters he recibido bastantes/muchísimas cartas
[any] number of
there must be any number of people in my position debe haber gran cantidad de personas en mi situación I've told you any number of times
any number can play puede jugar cualquier número de personas
he had concubines beyond number a [fair] [good] number of a fair number of calls were from women I've known him for a good number of years a [growing] [increasing] number of people growing numbers of people in the rural areas are too frightened to vote there has been a particularly high number of road accidents this month a very high number of prisoners will reoffend when they come out of jail
they were eight/few in number eran ocho/pocos boys and girls in equal numbers they turned out to vote [in] numbers there were flies in such numbers that ...
to make up the numbers hacer bulto she came along to make up the number in wartime volunteers were in short supply. To make up their numbers recruiting officers sometimes turned to the press Newport and Capel volunteered to make up the numbers in a pre-World Cup practice match in Sydney we are not just here to make up the numbers - we are here to fight to win the World Cup we had to lay on more facilities simply because of the [sheer] numbers involved in the event in war, sheer numbers matter far less than factors such as the vulnerability of weapons in sheer numbers, this great destruction of a species was the most profound of earth's many extinctions
times without number un sinfín de veces Joanna's mind gave a sickening lurch. Times without number she had been there, in that very room, with that same nurse, at that late hour of night, bent over this same pitiful infant We had sat here, either side of the kitchen table, for evenings without number, and gradually over the years the great volume of stories and fables that she carried in her head had been transferred to mine
5 (group) one of their number uno de ellos; I include myself in their number me considero uno de ellos
he is not of that number the director of the trustees' company has failed to convene a board meeting because some of their number ere busy with other business
6 (edition) número (m) the January number el número de enero
7 (song, act) número (m) and for my next number I shall sing ... ahora voy a cantar ...
there were several dance numbers on the programme
to do a number on sb (US) hacer una jugada a algn (informal) when he finally spoke, he addressed his remarks to the ground - "/I wasn't doing a number on you/. I needed time to think" he would prefer that Kimber keep his hands off the band's material - "Malcolm really did a number on me before"
8 (item of clothing) modelo (m) that little number is by Dior ese modelito es de Dior
9 (person) she's a nice little number está como un tren (informal); está más buena que el pan (informal)
a pretty little number in a red skirt came onto the stage
10 (product) this wine is a nice little number este vino no está nada mal
11 (job, situation) a cushy number un buen chollo (informal); (Esp)
many people think that a guide representative's life is the ultimate cushy number /one husband felt resentful for what he saw as a cushy number for his alcoholic wife/ - "it's all very well for her, she's in this beautiful place sitting around talking, but that bitch has ruined our lives for the past ten years he'd been working as a warehouseman in the bread works - /quite a cushy number, you can imagine/, what with squirrelling away the odd bit of butter here, sugar there
12 (Gram) número (m) to [agree] in number and gender adjectives must agree in number and gender with the noun they describe
13 Numbers (in Bible) (the Book of) Numbers (el libro de) Números
my opposite number in France the Kingston coach, Kevin Cadle, was praised by his opposite number, Ivan Tedeschko, as a "master tactician" George Oldham is chief architect with the housebuilder Barratt - Roger Wilson is his opposite number at Wimpey Homes the US Defence Secretary, met his UK opposite number Tom King a Lancaster crew had a higher life expectancy than its opposite numbers flying other types of heavy bomber
