Lexical Definition

‎πλῆθος‎ plēthos (play'-thos) multitude ^G:N-N
from ‎πλήθω‎

bundle, company, multitude.

• a fulness, i.e. a large number, throng, populace

Abbott-Smith

πλῆθος, -ους, τό, [in LXX chiefly for רֹב, also for הָמוֹן, etc.;]
1. a great number, a multitude;
(a) 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;
(b) 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.
2. 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.†

Abbott-Smith References

Liddell-Scott-Jones

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, [πλῆθος 5th c.BC: Herodotus Historicus 1.153; πόσοι τὸ π.; 4th-3rd c.BC: Diphilus Comicus 17.1; ἐρέται.. π. ἀνάριθμοι 4th-5th c.BC: Aeschylus Tragicus “Persae” 40 (\_anapaest meter\_); π. ὡς δισχίλιοι 5th-6th c.BC: Xenophon Historicus “Anabasis” 4.2.2; ἄπειρα τὸ π. [prev. author] “Mem.” 1.1.14; ἄπειρα καὶ π. καὶ σμικρότητα 5th c.BC: Anaxagoras Philosophus 1; π. τι πάμπολυ φθειρῶν “IG” 42(1).122.45, compare 32 (Epid., 4th c.BC). ">Refs 5th c.BC+]
__III magnitude, size, or extent, [ὄρος] πλήθεϊ μέγιστον καὶ μεγάθεϊ ὑψηλότατον [Refs 5th c.BC+]; πεδίον πλῆθος ἄπειρον[πλῆθος ἑπτὰ ἡμερέων ὁδοῦ [prev. author] 4.123; π. χώρας καὶ ἀνθρώπων 5th-6th c.BC: Xenophon Historicus “Anabasis” 1.5.9. ">Refs 5th c.BC+]
__III.2 in Attic dialect, of quantity or amount, διὰ π. τῆς ζημίας [πλῆθος οὐσίας 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Respublica” 591e, compare 4th c.BC: Aristoteles Philosophus “Politica” 1279a19; ταῦτα οὐδέν ἐστι πλήθει οὐδὲ μεγέθει πρὸς ἐκεῖνα 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Respublica” 614a; μετὰ πλήθους ἱδρῶτος ">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+]

_{LSJ Scripture Refs: LXX.Exod.36.5}