Indefinite quantity

/ɪnˌdɛf(ə)nət ˌkwɑntədi/

IPA guide

Other forms: indefinite quantities

Definitions of indefinite quantity

noun
an estimated quantity

see moresee less

types:
show 143 types...

hide 143 types...

addition, gain, increase
a quantity that is added

bag
the quantity of game taken in a particular period (usually by one person)

breakage
the quantity broken

capacity
(computer science) the amount of information (in bytes) that can be stored on a disk drive

catch, haul
the quantity that was caught

correction, fudge factor
a quantity that is added or subtracted in order to increase the accuracy of a scientific measure

containerful
the quantity that a container will hold

footstep, pace, step, stride
the distance covered by a step

headspace
the volume left at the top of a filled container (bottle or jar or tin) before sealing

large indefinite amount, large indefinite quantity
an indefinite quantity that is above the average in size or magnitude

limit, limitation
the greatest amount of something that is possible or allowed

limit, limit point, point of accumulation
the mathematical value toward which a function goes as the independent variable approaches infinity

output, production, yield
the quantity of something (as a commodity) that is created (usually within a given period of time)

neighborhood, region
the approximate amount of something (usually used prepositionally as in `in the region of')

outage
the amount of something (as whiskey or oil) lost in storage or transportation

reserve
(medicine) potential capacity to respond in order to maintain vital functions

run
the production achieved during a continuous period of operation (of a machine or factory etc.)

small indefinite amount, small indefinite quantity
an indefinite quantity that is below average size or magnitude

spillage
the amount that has spilled

spoilage
the amount that has spoiled

tankage
the quantity contained in (or the capacity of) a tank or tanks

ullage
the amount that a container (as a wine bottle or tank) lacks of being full

top-up
an amount needed to restore something to its former level

worth
an indefinite quantity of something having a specified value

skinful
a quantity of alcoholic drink sufficient to make you drunk

dosage, dose
the quantity of an active agent (substance or radiation) taken in or absorbed at any one time

load
an amount of alcohol sufficient to intoxicate

load, loading
a quantity that can be processed or transported at one time

precipitation
the quantity of water falling to earth at a specific place within a specified period of time

supply
an amount of something available for use

helping, portion, serving
an individual quantity of food or drink taken as part of a meal

mouthful, taste
a small amount eaten or drunk

extremum, peak
the most extreme possible amount or value

ha'p'orth, halfpennyworth
the amount that can be bought for a halfpenny

penn'orth, pennyworth
the amount that can be bought for a penny

accretion
something contributing to growth or increase

formatted capacity
(computer science) the usable capacity of a disk drive; the amount of space that is left after the sector headings and boundary definitions and timing information have been added by formatting the disk

unformatted capacity
(computer science) the total number of bytes on a disk including the space that will be required to format it

chunk
a substantial amount

cutoff
a designated limit beyond which something cannot function or must be terminated

pick, picking
the quantity of a crop that is harvested

pulmonary reserve
the additional volume of air that the lungs can inhale and exhale when breathing to the limit of capacity in times of stress

crumb
a very small quantity of something

dab, splash, splatter
a small quantity of something moist or liquid

bit, spot
a small piece or quantity of something

hair, hair's-breadth, hairsbreadth, whisker
a very small distance or space

modicum
a small or moderate or token amount

scattering, sprinkling
a small number (of something) dispersed haphazardly

shoe string, shoestring
a small amount of money

spray, spraying
a quantity of small objects flying through the air

nose
a small distance

step, stone's throw
a short distance

little
a small amount or duration

schtick, schtik, shtick, shtik
(Yiddish) a little; a piece

shade, tad
a slight amount or degree of difference

lower limit, minimum
the smallest possible quantity

armful
the quantity that can be contained in the arms

bag, bagful
the quantity that a bag will hold

barrel, barrelful
the quantity that a barrel (of any size) will hold

barrow, barrowful
the quantity that a barrow will hold

barnful
the quantity that a barn will hold

basin, basinful
the quantity that a basin will hold

basket, basketful
the quantity contained in a basket

bin, binful
the quantity contained in a bin

bottle, bottleful
the quantity contained in a bottle

bowl, bowlful
the quantity contained in a bowl

box, boxful
the quantity contained in a box

bucket, bucketful
the quantity contained in a bucket

busload
the quantity of cargo or the number of passengers that a bus can carry

can, canful
the quantity contained in a can

capful
the quantity that a cap will hold

carful
the quantity that a car will hold

cartload
the quantity that a cart holds

carton, cartonful
the quantity contained in a carton

case, caseful
the quantity contained in a case

cask, caskful
the quantity a cask will hold

crate, crateful
the quantity contained in a crate

cup, cupful
the quantity a cup will hold

dish, dishful
the quantity that a dish will hold

dustpan, dustpanful
the quantity that a dustpan will hold

flask, flaskful
the quantity a flask will hold

glass, glassful
the quantity a glass will hold

fistful, handful
the quantity that can be held in the hand

hatful
as many or as much as a hat will hold

headful
the quantity of information that a head will hold

houseful
as many as a house will accommodate

jar, jarful
the quantity contained in a jar

jug, jugful
the quantity contained in a jug

keg, kegful
the quantity contained in a keg

kettle, kettleful
the quantity a kettle will hold

lapful
the quantity that can be held in the lap

mouthful
the quantity that can be held in the mouth

mug, mugful
the quantity that can be held in a mug

pail, pailful
the quantity contained in a pail

pipeful
the quantity of tobacco that can be smoked in a pipe at one time

pitcher, pitcherful
the quantity contained in a pitcher

plate, plateful
the quantity contained in a plate

pocketful
the quantity a pocket will hold

pot, potful
the quantity contained in a pot

roomful
the quantity a room will hold

sack, sackful
the quantity contained in a sack

scoop, scoopful
the quantity a scoop will hold

shelfful
the amount that a shelf will hold

shoeful
the amount that a shoe will hold

shovel, shovelful, spadeful
the quantity a shovel can hold

skepful
the quantity a skep can hold

spoon, spoonful
as much as a spoon will hold

tablespoon, tablespoonful
as much as a tablespoon will hold

dessertspoon, dessertspoonful
as much as a dessert spoon will hold

tank, tankful
as much as a tank will hold

teacup, teacupful
as much as a teacup will hold

teaspoon, teaspoonful
as much as a teaspoon will hold

thimble, thimbleful
as much as a thimble will hold

tub, tubful
the amount that a tub will hold

morsel
a small quantity of anything

handful, smattering
a small number or amount

couple
a small indefinite number

drib, driblet, drop
a small indefinite quantity (especially of a liquid)

dollop
a small measure (usually of food)

trainload
quantity that can be carried by a train

dreg
a small amount of residue

diddley, diddly, diddly-squat, diddlysquat, doodly-squat, jack, squat
a small worthless amount

nip, shot
a small drink of liquor

hint, suggestion, trace
a just detectable amount

iota, scintilla, shred, smidge, smidgen, smidgeon, smidgin, tittle, whit
a tiny or scarcely detectable amount

tot
a small amount (especially of a drink)

hint, jot, mite, pinch, soupcon, speck, tinge, touch, trifle
a slight but appreciable amount

barrels
the amount that many barrels might hold

batch, deal, flock, good deal, great deal, hatful, heap, lot, mass, mess, mickle, mint, mountain, muckle, passel, peck, pile, plenty, pot, quite a little, raft, sight, slew, spate, stack, tidy sum, wad
(often followed by `of') a large number or amount or extent

battalion, large number, multitude, pack, plurality
a large indefinite number

all get out, billy-ho, billyo, billyoh
an unimaginably large amount

boatload, carload, shipload
the amount of cargo that can be held by a boat or ship or a freight car

infinitude
an infinite quantity

maximum, upper limit
the largest possible quantity

mile
a large distance

bazillion, billion, gazillion, jillion, kazillion, million, trillion, zillion
a very large indefinite number (usually used as an exaggeration)

much
a great amount or extent

myriad
a large indefinite number

reservoir
a large or extra supply of something

ocean, sea
anything apparently limitless in quantity or volume

ream
a large quantity of written matter

small fortune
a large sum of money

dozens, gobs, heaps, lashings, loads, lots, oodles, piles, rafts, scads, scores, slews, stacks, tons, wads
a large number or amount

type of:
amount, measure, quantity
how much there is or how many there are of something that you can quantify

Cite this entry

Style:

Copy citation

DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘indefinite quantity'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback

Word Family

Sign up now (it’s free!)

Whether you’re a teacher or a learner, Vocabulary.com can put you or your class on the path to systematic vocabulary improvement.