noun
the number of a particular individual's Social Security account
• Regions:
• Hypernyms: ↑number, ↑identification number
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noun, pl ⋯ -bers [count]
: a number that is given to each citizen of the U.S. by the government and that is used for the Social Security program and for official forms and records — abbr. SSN
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(in the US) an official identity number that everyone is given when they are born
Culture:
The SSN was originally a qualification for work and ↑social security, but in 1987 the US government decided that children should also be given numbers. The number is now also used in other ways, e.g. on bank cheques and driving licences and as a student’s number at college or university.
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Useful english dictionary. 2012.