What is four score and seven years?

Answer 1

Literally, "four twenties and seven years ago," or "87 years ago."

A score is 20. Four score is 80, and 7 is 87. So four score and seven years ago means 87 years ago. (see "Wikipedia"; "Gettysburg Address". 1863 minus 87=1776; 4th July - Declaration of Independence!)

"Fourscore" means eighty (80). A score is twenty. It's not in very common use any more, but it is a word like "dozen," which means twelve (12)--a special word for a certain number. (And a gross is 12 x 12, or 144.)

So if a score = 20, fourscore = 4 x 20 = 80. And 7 makes 87.

1 score = 20 years

4 score = 80 years

4 score 7 years = 87 years

Answer 2

A 'score' means twenty. So 4 times 20 plus seven is referring to 87 years ago.

Answer 3

87

Answer 4

87 years