thirteenth
Americanadjective
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next after the twelfth; being the ordinal number for 13.
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being one of 13 equal parts.
noun
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thirteenths
plural
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a thirteenth part, especially of one (1/13).
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the thirteenth member of a series.
adjective
noun
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one of 13 equal or nearly equal parts of something
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( as modifier )
a thirteenth part
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the fraction equal to one divided by 13 ( 1/ 13 )
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music
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an interval of one octave plus a sixth See also interval
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short for thirteenth chord
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Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of thirteenth
before 900; thirteen + -th 2; replacing Middle English thrittenthe ( see three, tenth), Old English thryttēotha ( see tithe)
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.
See Examples For:
The 11 other aircraft can be inspected later, but before their thirteenth flight, that is, 25 cycles, with one cycle consisting of a flight, a takeoff, and a landing.
From Barron's ● Jun. 23, 2026
The authors of the Speculum paper write that this identification was a mistaken one, the result of a misreading, in the thirteenth century, of an account of the giant written in Latin.
From Science Daily ● Mar. 25, 2024
Woodpigeons are also doing very well, up from thirteenth place in the survey to fourth position with sightings up tenfold.
From BBC ● Jan. 25, 2024
The rescuers saw their hopes dashed on the thirteenth day of the operation, when their drilling machine broke down beyond repair.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 28, 2023
I've been preparing for this day since my thirteenth birthday; all of the lessons, the lectures, the practice.
From "The Belles" by Dhonielle Clayton
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This is about four thirteenths of the cultivable soil of the kingdom.
From Man and Nature or, Physical Geography as Modified by Human Action by George P. Marsh
"Three and eleven thirteenths dollars each," said William Bright, who pulled the next oar forward of Tim.
From All Aboard; or, Life on the Lake A Sequel to "The Boat Club" by Oliver Optic
The use of units of measure in drills which will never be used in bona fide measuring is like the use of fractions like sevenths, elevenths, and thirteenths.
From The Psychology of Arithmetic by Edward L. (Edward Lee) Thorndike
If you were in the profession you'd understand that a fellow values a charm that has carried him safe over Fridays, thirteenths, rotten trapezes and cyclones.
From Andy the Acrobat by Peter T. Harkness
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.