thirteen
Americannoun
-
a cardinal number, 10 plus 3.
-
a symbol for this number, as 13 or XIII.
-
a set of this many persons or things.
adjective
noun
-
the cardinal number that is the sum of ten and three and is a prime number See also number
-
a numeral, 13, XIII, etc, representing this number
-
the amount or quantity that is three more than ten; baker's dozen
-
something represented by, representing, or consisting of 13 units
determiner
Usage
Spelling tips for 13 The word thirteen (13) is hard to spell because it doesn’t simply combine the spelling of the base number (three) with the suffix -teen, as is done in other easy-to-remember spellings like fourteen and sixteen. How to spell thirteen: When three is combined with suffixes, it transforms from three (a cardinal number) to third (an ordinal number). Then, the d is dropped: thirteen (not thirdteen); thirty (not thirdty). Remember: there's no d in thirteen.
Etymology
Origin of thirteen
before 900; late Middle English thirttene, variant of Middle English thrittene, Old English thrēotēne; cognate with Dutch dertien, German dreizehn, Old Norse threttān. See three, -teen
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
E-commerce platform Pattern Group is up ten of the last thirteen weeks, with a 19% gain on May 7 earnings, and shows a bullish golden cross.
From Barron's • May 26, 2026
Nevada also joined the group this week, bringing the total number of members to thirteen.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 5, 2025
We just got new numbers, and it’s down to one in thirteen, an all-time low.
From Salon • Mar. 26, 2025
The gathering could be the first test of whether Syria's new leadership can achieve the promised goal of uniting the country after thirteen years of civil war.
From BBC • Dec. 29, 2024
At thirteen, Betsie seemed almost an adult to me.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
