thirteenth

Pluralthirteenths

1. 1
   adjective

   Occupying position number thirteen in a sequence or order; the ordinal that corresponds to thirteen.

   Her name appeared on the thirteenth page of the report.

   The thirteenth chapter finally explained the mystery.

   Note

   Old English already had this ordinal as þrēottēoþa, and the modern word is still built the same way: thirteen plus the -th that forms ordinals. Because it names a fixed position, it cannot be graded. Nothing is more thirteenth or very thirteenth than something else, so it never takes comparison.

2. 2
   nouncountable

   The person or thing occupying position number thirteen in a series.

   Among the climbers, she became the thirteenth to reach the summit.

   His invention was the thirteenth in a long line of failed prototypes.

3. 3
   nouncountable

   Any one of thirteen equal parts into which a whole is divided.

   Each shareholder was entitled to a thirteenth of the annual profit.

   The recipe calls for a thirteenth of the total flour in each batch.

4. 4
   nouncountable

   Day number thirteen within a given calendar month.

   The rent is always due on the thirteenth, regardless of the month.

   The festival opens on the thirteenth and runs through the weekend.

   Note

   On calendars and letterheads the word usually turns into a numeral with its suffix, as in January 13th. Spelled out, it can stand alone for the day once the month is understood. Speakers say due on the thirteenth or opens on the thirteenth, always with the and usually with on.

5. 5
   nouncountable

   A musical interval spanning an octave plus a sixth.

   The arranger added a thirteenth to enrich the closing chord.

   Jazz pianists often voice a dominant thirteenth for a fuller sound.

   Note

   A harmonist's measure: counted up from the lower note, a thirteenth reaches the same letter name as the sixth, one octave higher, and that sixth may be major or minor. Its main life is in chord building. There the added note gives extended dominant chords and jazz voicings their fuller color, and a dominant thirteenth chord takes its name from it.

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