What is the meaning of Social_security_number?

A nine-digit number issued to citizens, permanent residents, and temporary (working) residents by the Social Security Administration under section 205(c)(2) of the Social Security Act, codified as 42 U.S.C. ยง 405(c)(2), introduced primarily to track people for taxation purposes, and in recent years serving as a de facto national identification number.

A corresponding number in other countries.

Source: wiktionary.org