hundreds and thousands: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
MediumInformal, Culinary
Quick answer
What does “hundreds and thousands” mean?
Small, spherical decorative sugar confectionery used as a topping for cakes, biscuits, and desserts.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
Small, spherical decorative sugar confectionery used as a topping for cakes, biscuits, and desserts.
A very large, indefinite number of similar small things or people; used idiomatically to mean a multitude.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
In the UK, 'hundreds and thousands' primarily refers to the small decorative sprinkles. In the US, the identical product is almost universally called 'sprinkles' or 'nonpareils'. The idiomatic meaning 'a large number' is understood but rarely used in the US.
Connotations
UK: Strong culinary association, nostalgia (childhood cakes). US: Very low recognition for the term; using it may mark the speaker as British. The idiomatic use sounds archaic or literary.
Frequency
High frequency in UK culinary contexts; very low frequency in US English for either meaning.
Grammar
How to Use “hundreds and thousands” in a Sentence
to decorate [object] with hundreds and thousandsto sprinkle hundreds and thousands on [object][object] is covered in hundreds and thousandsVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “hundreds and thousands” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- Let's hundreds-and-thousands these cupcakes for the school fair.
- (Note: highly informal, non-standard verbalization)
adjective
British English
- She made a classic hundreds-and-thousands cake.
- We need a hundreds-and-thousands topping.
American English
- A sprinkle-topped cupcake (not 'hundreds-and-thousands' as adjective).
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Unlikely, except in specific contexts like baking supply.
Academic
Rare; could appear in historical or cultural studies of food.
Everyday
Common in UK domestic and bakery contexts. The idiomatic use is occasional.
Technical
Used in confectionery manufacturing; specifications may refer to 'nonpareils'.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “hundreds and thousands”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “hundreds and thousands”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “hundreds and thousands”
- Using 'hundreds of thousands' (which means 100,000+) for the decorative sprinkles.
- In US English, using the term and being misunderstood.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
They are primarily made of sugar, starch, and food colouring, with a hard, spherical shell.
It is a plural noun, treated as plural in construction (e.g., 'These hundreds and thousands are colourful').
No, the idiomatic use meaning 'a great many' is informal and hyperbolic. Use 'thousands', 'a multitude of', or 'numerous' in formal contexts.
In precise confectionery terms, they are the same thing. 'Nonpareils' is the technical/culinary term used in both the UK and US, while 'hundreds and thousands' is the common UK term.
Small, spherical decorative sugar confectionery used as a topping for cakes, biscuits, and desserts.
Hundreds and thousands: in British English it is pronounced /ˌhʌndrədz ən ˈθaʊzəndz/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌhʌndrədz ən ˈθaʊzəndz/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Hundreds and thousands of... (a great many)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a hundred tiny cakes, each with a thousand colourful dots on top - that's 'hundreds and thousands'.
Conceptual Metaphor
QUANTITY IS SIZE/COUNT (the small items collectively represent a large number).
Practice
Quiz
In which context would a British speaker most naturally use the term 'hundreds and thousands'?