Quick Definition
πλῆθος, ους, τό n.n. a multitude
Strong's Definition
from 4130; a fulness, i.e. a large number, throng, populace
KJV Usage: bundle, company, multitude
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament
noun, n. | -ους | πίμπλημι
59.9 · Quantity · Many, Few [Countables]
large number of, a multitude of a large number of countable objects or events, with the probable implication of some type of grouping
LUK 5:6 · JHN 5:3 · JHN 21:6 · ACT 4:32 · ACT 5:14 · ACT 17:4 · ACT 21:36 · ACT 28:3 · HEB 11:12 · JAS 5:20 · 1PE 4:8
11.1 · Groups and Classes of Persons and Members of Such Groups and Classes · General
crowd, multitude a casual non-membership group of people, fairly large in size and assembled for whatever purpose In a number of languages there is no term corresponding to ‘crowd.’ One may, however, usually speak of such a group of people as ‘many people’ or ‘many men and women.’ Depending on the context, it may besary to indicate some relative difference in size, for example, ‘very large crowd’ or ‘many, many people.’ If the crowd is relatively small, one may sometimes speak of ‘just some people.’
MRK 3:7 · MRK 3:8 · LUK 1:10 · LUK 2:13 · LUK 6:17 · LUK 8:37 · LUK 19:37 · LUK 23:1 · LUK 23:27 · ACT 2:6 · ACT 5:16 · ACT 6:2 · ACT 6:5 · ACT 14:1 · ACT 14:4 · ACT 15:12 · ACT 15:30 · ACT 19:9 · ACT 23:7 · ACT 25:24
1 In this set of terms referring to a crowd or a multitude, it is possible that πλῆθος[b] denotes a somewhat larger group of persons than the other terms and that λαός[c] suggests a crowd made up of common people, but one cannot be certain of these distinctions from existing contexts.
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament © United Bible Societies, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary
πλῆθος plēthos 31x
fullness, amplitude, magnitude; a multitude, a great number, Lk. 1:10; 2:13; 5:6; a multitude, a crowd, throng, Mk. 3:7, 8; Lk. 6:17
Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon
πλῆθος, -ους, τό,
[in LXX chiefly for רֹב, also for הָמוֹן, etc.;]
a great number, a multitude; of things: ἰχθύων, Lk 5:6, Jo 21:6; φρυγάνων, Ac 28:3; ἁμαρτιιῶν, Ja 5:20, I Pe 4:8; τ. πλήθει, in multitude, He 11:12;
of persons: Ac 21:22 (WH, R, om.); c. gen., Lk 2:13, Jo 5:3, Ac 5:14; π. πολύ (πολὺ π.), Mk 3:7, 8; id. c. gen., Lk 6:17 23:27, Ac 14:1 17:4.
Of persons, c. art., the whole number, the multitude (in Plat., Thuc., Xen., al., = δῆμος, the commons, or-opp. to δῆμος-the populace): Ac 2:6 15:30 19:9 23:7; τ. λαοῦ, Ac 21:36; τ. πόλεως, Ac 14:4; πᾶν τὸ π., Ac 15:12; c. gen., Lk 1:10 8:37 19:37 23:1, Ac 4:32 5:16 6:2, 5 25:24.†
Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT
πλῆθος is used (1) of things—P Hib I. 52ὅ (c. B.c. 245) τὰ P Lille I. 378 (B.c. 241-0) ἱκανὰ πλήθη, ‘‘des sommes considérables’’ (Ed.), P Tebt II. 2824 (late ii/p.c.) εἶ μὴ (ν) παρειληφέναι τὰ ὑπογεγρί(αμμένα) πλήθηι, “that 1 have in truth received the hereinafter mentioned amounts ἡ (Edd.), P Ryl IL. 1192? (a.D. 54-67) διὰ τὸ πλῆθος τῶν κατ᾽ ἔτος γενημάτων, “owing to its great yearly productivity ’’ (Edd.) ; and (2) of persons—Chrest, I. 11Ai 1! (B.C, 123) παραγενομένων τῶν αὐτῶν πληθῶν σὺν ὅπλοις, and P Tebt Il. 3104 (A.D. 186) τῷ πλήθι τῶν ἱερέων, ‘the corporation of priests ’’ (Edd.).
Liddell-Scott-Jones — Greek-English Lexicon
πλῆθος (plēthos) — multitude. πλῆθος, εος, τό, Doric dialect and [Refs 4th c.AD+] πλῆθος [Refs 5th c.BC+]; Boeotian dialect πλεῖθος [Refs]; pseudo-Doric dialect and pseudo-Aeolic dialect πλᾶθος [Refs 1st c.BC+] see at {πίμπλημι}):—great number, multitude, especially of people, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; στρατοῦ π., periphrastic for στρατὸς πολύς, [Refs]; ὡς πλήθει for the mass of men, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
2. τὸ π. the greater number, the mass, main body, τὸ π. τοῦ στρατοῦ [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τὸ π. τῆς ψυχῆς the largest part of.., [Refs 5th c.BC+]: as Noun of Multitude with plural Verb, Ἀθηναίων τὸ π. οἴονται [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τὸ π. ἐψηφίσαντο πολεμεῖν the majority,[Refs 5th c.BC+]; τῷ π. by a majority, [Refs 5th c.BC+]: hence, people, population, σμικρὸν τὸ π. τῆσδε γῆς [Refs 5th c.BC+]
2. b the commons, [Refs 5th c.BC+]: frequently of the popular assembly, τὸ ὑμέτερον π., τὸ π. τὸ ὑμέτερον, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; Ἐρυθραίων τῷ π., Ἀθηναίων τοῦ π., [Refs]; = Latin plebs, [Refs 2nd c.BC+]; also, association, corporation, or guild, τὸ π. τὸ Ἁλιαδᾶν [Refs]; τὸ τῶν Πανιαστῶν π. [Refs 3rd c.BC+]; π. τῶν ἁλιέων [Refs 3rd c.BC+]; τὸ π. τῶν μαχαιροφόρων [Refs 2nd c.BC+]; opposed to αἱ ἀρχαί, οἱ ὀλίγοι, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; but also, populace, mob, opposed to δῆμος (commons), [Refs 5th c.BC+] the masses, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
II. quantity or number, πόσον π. ἦν νεῶν Ἑλληνίδω; [Refs 5th c.BC+]in force, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
III. magnitude, size, or extent, [ὄρος] πλήθεϊ μέγιστον καὶ μεγάθεϊ ὑψηλότατον [Refs 5th c.BC+]; πεδίον πλῆθος ἄπειρον[Refs 5th c.BC+]
III.2. in Attic dialect, of quantity or amount, διὰ π. τῆς ζημίας [Refs 5th c.BC+]multa sudans, [Refs 2nd c.BC+]; τὸ παρακείμενον π. the amount entered against each, [Refs 2nd c.BC+]; of money, τὸ ἴσον π. [Refs]: in plural, quantities, ἐμβρύων [Refs 5th c.BC+]
III.3. more than enough, π. φέρειν [LXX]
III.4. plurality, opposed to ἕν, [Refs 5th c.AD+]
IV. of Time, length, χρόνου [Refs 5th c.BC+]
V. with Preps., or adverbs, ἐς π. in great numbers, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; κατὰ πλῆθος a large number at a time, [Refs]usually, mostly, [Refs 5th c.BC+]