Umpteen
Umpteen is a slang term for an unspecified but somewhat large number, generally used in a humorous fashion or to imply that it is not worth the effort to pin down the actual figure.
Despite the -teen ending, which would seem to indicate that it lies between 12 and 20, umpteen is often assumed to be much larger than this - if it could ever be pinned down. It is unclear where the ump portion of the word came from, but one theory is that it could have arisen from a sound used by speakers to indicate uncertainty. A derived term using the same root is umpty-ump.
A number of other slang terms exist to connote even larger, but equally uncertain, numbers. Most are constructed by placing a nonsense syllable before the suffix -illion - e.g., gazillion.
Referenced By
English-language numerals | English language numerals
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