番手
Meanings
yarn count; thread count number
Technical textile term for the count or number expressing yarn thickness; the exact scale depends on the yarn-count system.
In general, the higher the yarn count, the finer the yarn becomes.
nth place; nth position; nth in the order
Suffix-like use after a number, especially for a competitor's place in a race or a person's position in an order or lineup.
Early on, he settled into third place, a little behind the leader.
In the relay order, she is the fourth runner.
nth rank in a battle formation; nth line of troops
Military use, especially in descriptions of battle order, for a numbered rank or unit in a formation.
In military chronicles of the Warring States period, the unit following the vanguard is sometimes written as the second rank.
castle guard
Historical noun for a guard or guard duty connected with a castle; not a common everyday modern use.
An Edo-period record notes the shift times of the castle guards who watched the gate.
second-place horse; horse running just behind the leader
Horse-racing term for the horse in second position, especially the one tracking the leader.
The horse in second place passed the front-runner in the stretch.
Usage patterns
- 〈数〉番手the nth position (in a lineup, order, or rotation)
He's second in line among the team's ace candidates.
- 〈数〉番手につけるto settle into the nth position (esp. in a race)
In that race, the horse tracked in second position and pulled away at the end.
- 番手を上げるto move up in rank/position
She has moved up in the rankings this season.
- 先発〈数〉番手the nth starter in a rotation (e.g. pitching order)
This season, he's pitching as the second starter in the rotation.