# Bates number

> English word · Noun

## Definitions
1. A number affixed to a document indicating its number in a series of documents, usually with respect to evidentiary documents being provided to the other party in a legal proceeding.

## Etymology
Derived from Bates, the surname of the inventor of the first serial number-stamping machine.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/bates-number