thirteenth

American  

[thur-teenth] / ˈθɜrˈtinθ /

adjective

1. next after the twelfth; being the ordinal number for 13.

2. being one of 13 equal parts.

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noun

• thirteenths
  plural

1. a thirteenth part, especially of one (1/13).

2. the thirteenth member of a series.

thirteenth British  

/ ˈθɜːˈtiːnθ /

adjective

1. (usually prenominal)

   1. coming after the twelfth in numbering or counting order, position, time, etc; being the ordinal number of thirteen: often written 13th

   2. ( as noun )

      Friday the thirteenth

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noun

1. 1. one of 13 equal or nearly equal parts of something

   2. ( as modifier )

      a thirteenth part

2. the fraction equal to one divided by 13 ( 1/ 13 )

3. music

   1. an interval of one octave plus a sixth See also interval

   2. short for thirteenth chord

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• thirteenths
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of thirteenth

before 900; thirteen + -th ²; replacing Middle English thrittenthe ( see three, tenth), Old English thryttēotha ( see tithe)

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

thirteenth thirteenths

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 report also found a thirteenth, now-retired officer, from South Yorkshire Police, would have faced misconduct proceedings.

From BBC ● Dec. 2, 2025

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

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

She wore a plain shift dress that likely fit her when she first entered the Tower, shortly after her thirteenth birthday, but she had grown taller, and it barely covered her knees.

From "The Girl Who Drank the Moon" by Kelly Barnhill

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

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

"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

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

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