forty

number (plural forties)

• 1the number equivalent to the product of four and ten; ten less than fifty; 40:York was only forty miles away forty were arrested there were about thirty or forty of them (Roman numeral: xl or XL)
• (forties) the numbers from forty to forty-nine, especially the years of a century or of a person’s life:Terry was in his early forties
• forty years old:a tall woman of about forty
• forty miles an hour:they were doing about forty
• a size of garment or other merchandise denoted by forty.

• 2 (the Forties) the central North Sea between Scotland and southern Norway, so called from its prevailing depth of forty fathoms or more. See also the roaring forties at roaring.
• (Forties) a shipping forecast area covering the central North Sea east of Scotland.