We’re at column No. 48 in Webb’s “Weird Words” — a number with no fewer than eight different factors; it’s also one-third of a gross (144) and can multiply into the mile’s 5,280 feet with an even (but not very elegant) 110.

So if a logophile can venture into math for a week or two, your local word-Smith would like to present several lesser-known terms derived from numbers — in careful order from one to six.

(Next week, we’ll pick up again at seven and go much higher.)

Monastery – Among many terms using the Greek base mono — meaning “one” — most of us know monorail, monotonous and perhaps even monograph and monocle. But both monastery and monk also come from this — in the sense that such religious orders often involve isolation.

In other words: one person.

Biscuit – As for two, we all understand such bi- words as bicycle, bicentennial and bigamy; but did you know that biscuit is similarly related? It literally means “twice-cooked.” (And yes, that’s also behind the brand-name Triscuits — though those aren’t baked thrice, and no one is sure what trio is being referenced … possibly the key ingredients wheat, oil and salt.)

Along the same lines, you might know that zwie is German for “two” — as ein, zwei, drei. And this in turn gives us the German zwieback, which means pretty much the same thing as “biscuit” (back = “baked”).

Trivia – Even more unlikely is this word’s connection to the familiar “three”-base, tri. Believe it or not, this term also uses the common root via, meaning “way” or “road” (as in viaduct, deviate and even Williamsport’s Via Bella). So trivia refers to a triple crossroads — where folks might gather to chat and gossip … about “trivia,” of course. (As the great Dave Barry might say, I am not making this up.)

Quarantine – This is connected to the group of “four”-words that use quar(t) and quad — including, of course, quart(er), quartet and quadrangle; but quarantine actually comes from “forty days,” the period of time ships were isolated during the great global plagues of the Middle Ages.

Quintessential – Once again, most of us know that ancient science posited a universe made not from our 100-plus elements, but rather only four: earth, air, fire and water. Yet those folks also proposed that some additional substance must give “essence” to all things, while also making up the heavenly bodies; and so they hypothesized a vital “fifth element” — which is what quintessence originally meant.

Now, however, its definition has shifted to indicate “the most typical or perfect example.” For instance: “James Bond is the quintessential secret agent.” (Even if he’s played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson, which now seems likely.)

Sextant – You don’t need a degree in math to note that we’ve now reached six, which gives us this navigational tool — so named because its shape and size generally conform to one-sixth of a circle.

As for seven and the common base sept: Except for the all-too-obvious septet, it’s tough to come up with a reasonably well-used common noun from that root: Septillion? Septennial? Septenarius? So for this, we’ll go to the proper but very familiar noun September — which, as you may have noticed, is the first of four consecutive number-named months (September, October, November, December). But since we’re running low on space in this installment of “Weird Words,” we’ll wait till next week to explain why the last four months or our year are off by two (October being 10th and not No. 8, for example).

And once we’ve notched a few more numbers up to 14, I’ll also explain the oddball numbering system of million, billion, trillion, etc.

Too bad I can’t resolve the national-debt crisis at the same time.