also: ごうば
noun
Rare term for 'number' or 'numeral'; in modern Japanese, 番号 or 数字 are far more common. May appear in historical or specialized contexts.
古い文献では、号碼という言葉が番号の意味で使われている。
In old documents, the word 号碼 is used to mean 'number'.
The exact derivation is uncertain; the kanji 号 (number) and 碼 (code, number) suggest a compound meaning 'number' or 'numeral', possibly influenced by Chinese usage.