(mathematics)Short for to the ... power, or to the (power of ) ...
Two to the fourth equals sixteen.
= Two to the fourth power equals sixteen.
= Two to the four equals sixteen.
= (Two to the power of four equals sixteen.)
Ten to the fourth (10,000)
=Ten to the four
Ten to the minus four (1/10,000)
Ten to the zero (1)
(slang) used in rap songs between the letters of a word being spelled
J to the L-O
Usage notes
Use with ordinal numbers (first, tenth, hundredth) is somewhat more common and formal for positive integers.
For negative, zero, or fractional powers, the ordinal form (minus tenth, zeroth, halfth) is rare or non-existent without the word "power".
The use with cardinal numbers (one, ten, one hundred, zero, minus ten) is common in Mathematics and Computing and is almost always used for numbers other than positive integers.
Formal usage with ordinals normally includes the word "power" for clarity, and the alternative form to the power of is preferred for powers that are not positive integers.