- a cardinal number, 40 plus 8.
- a symbol for this number, such as 48 or XLVIII.
- a set of 48 persons or things: Of the two parties that reserved a private room tonight, the forty-eight is the larger, so put them in the east dining room just off the lounge.
- the conterminous United States: Crossing the border into Alberta, Canada, was the first time he’d ventured beyond the forty-eight.
- amounting to 48 in number: So far, forty-eight students have registered for soccer.
