Etymology

umpteen

U1M3P3T1E1E1N1

Today it means: Relatively large but unspecified in number. Full definition →

First used 1907
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The story

From ump (“a colloquial name for the dash "—" in Morse code”) + -teen. Unrelated to ump as in umpire, and simply a mnemonic rhyming aid.

First known use, by meaning

  • 1907 Relatively large but unspecified in number.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.