thirteenadj.n.
/ˌθəːˈtiːn/, /ˈθəːtiːn/, U.S. /ˌθərˈtin/, /ˈθərˌtin/ The cardinal numeral composed of ten and three, represented by the symbols 13 or xiii.
A. adj.† 3. As ordinal: = thirteenth adj. Obsolete.† 4. thirteen-pence-halfpenny, alleged to have been the wage of a hangman. thirteen-pence-halfpenny piece, the name of the Scottish merk (= 13s. 4d. Scots money) current during the 17th century. Obsolete.
1. With modified noun expressed.
ΘΚΠ
the world > relative properties > number > specific numbers > eleven to ninety-nine > [adjective] > thirteen
thirteena900
tridecennary1783
α.
β. c1430 R. Gloucester's Chron. (Rolls) 8666 (MS. ε.) He adde be kyng þirttene ȝer.1531 in I. S. Leadam Select Cases Court of Requests (1898) 34 To haue for his waiges only thurteyn shillinges and foure pence by the yere.1538 T. Elyot Dict. Tredecim, thyrtene.1561 J. Daus tr. H. Bullinger Hundred Serm. vpon Apocalips Pref. sig. B.iiiv Thirtine yeres past.1588 Holy Bull, etc. (title page) Pardon and Indulgence of their Sinnes: and that for..two Spanish Realls, viz. Thirteen Pence.1659 R. Baxter Key for Catholicks i. xxxii. 205 One Kingdom hath thirteen Arch-bishops.1776 Declaration of Independence The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America.1776 in Huntington (New York) Town Rec. (1889) III. 6 Yesterday the Freedom and Independence of the Thirteen United Colonies was..proclaimed.1901 N. Amer. Rev. Feb. 162 Fines amounting to thirteen times the amount of the indemnity.1941 S. V. Benét Listen to People (1942) 471 There are the pretty girls with their hair curled Who represent the Thirteen Colonies.1950 Chicago Tribune 23 Feb. 4/4 Our 13 original states found that survival and progress depend on closer association and common effort.a900 tr. Bede Eccl. Hist. (1890) i. xiii. [xxiii.] 54 Þreotteno ger & syx monað & tyn dagas.
a900 tr. Bede Eccl. Hist. iv. xxiv. [xxiii.] 342 Þær seondon betweoh þæm mynstrum twæm þreottyne mila ametene.
c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) l. 11071 Ȝe muȝhenn upp o ȝure ȝer Þrittene moneþþ findenn.
?c1225 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Cleo. C.vi) (1972) 173 Seinte sare nes ha fulle þreottene ȝer ifonded of hire flesch.
c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1963) l. 3875 Þreottene monðes wunede Iulius in Oðeres.
1297 R. Gloucester's Chron. (Rolls) 652 Brut is sone king was þrettene [v.rr. þrottene, thryttene] ȝer.
c1330 (?a1300) Guy of Warwick (Auch.) p. 611 For þritten pouer men & ȝete mo.
1610 in J. Barmby Memorials St. Giles's, Durham (1896) 39 Everie housholder shall paye..to the..bakhouse man for everie threteene Cakes one Cake and no more.
1661 Reg. Privy Counc. Scotl. I. 26 Threttein.
2. Absolutely (or with noun implied in context).spec. with reference to the original thirteen states (previously colonies) of the U.S.A.
ΘΚΠ
the world > relative properties > number > specific numbers > eleven to ninety-nine > [noun] > thirteen
thirteenc1000
devil's dozen1831
the world > relative properties > number > specific numbers > eleven to ninety-nine > [noun] > thirteen > thirteen things, persons, etc.
thirteenc1000
baker's dozen1596
c1000 Menologium (Gr.) 116 Ymb þreotyne [tida lange]..tyn mihtum eac.
1297 R. Gloucester's Chron. (Rolls) 10377 In þe ȝer of grace ywis Tuelf hundred & þretene ido was al þis.
1362 W. Langland Piers Plowman A. v. 128 I..putte hem in a pressour..Til ten ȝerdes oþer twelue tolden out þrettene.
1562 in W. H. Turner Select. Rec. Oxf. (1880) 289 Called before the Mayre and the thurtene.
1725 in A. J. Warden Dundee Burgh Laws (1872) 356 Non shall give no more butt therteen for the duson of bread, except that it be to Baxteris or Baxters wifs.
1834 H. M. Brackenridge Recoll. vii. 69 Fort Fayette, surmounted by the stripes and stars of the old thirteen.
1865 S. Evans Brother Fabian's MSS 49 If thirteen sit down to sup And thou first have risen up, Goodman, turn thy money!
1884 Harper's Mag. Nov. 889/1 I do not know as to their feelings regarding thirteen at table.
1904 Hartford (Connecticut) Courant 30 Aug. 10 We want to see the Old Thirteen draw closer and closer together.
ΘΚΠ
the world > relative properties > number > specific numbers > eleven to ninety-nine > [adjective] > thirteen > thirteenth
thirteentha900
thirteenc1430
c1430 Freemasonry 239 The threttene artycul..Ys [etc.].
c1480 (a1400) St. Paul 72 in W. M. Metcalfe Legends Saints Sc. Dial. (1896) I. 31 [He] prechit þare..till of nero þe thratten ȝere.
1503 Rolls of Parl. VI. 527/2 The thretene day of Marche.
1551 R. Record Pathway to Knowl. i. Defin. In the thirtene conclusion.
1603 R. Knolles Gen. Hist. Turkes 30 He..died the thirteenth of Nouember, in the yeere of Grace 1142.
1640 in J. Nicholson Minute Bk. War Comm. Covenanters Kirkcudbright 13 Oct. (1855) 60 The threttene day of October, 1640.
ΘΚΠ
society > trade and finance > fees and taxes > payment for labour or service > fee for services rendered > [noun] > fee of professional person > hangman's fee
thirteen-pence-halfpenny1608
thirteener and a baubee1762
society > trade and finance > money > medium of exchange or currency > coins collective > Scottish coins > [noun] > silver coins
mark1379
noble1417
yokindale1536
Douglas groat1554
James Royal1567
leg1687
fourteen-shilling piece1695
thirteen-pence-halfpenny piece1723
spurred groata1773
sword dollar1825
c1470 Miners' Laws in C. Walters Bygone Somerset (1897) 41 If any..doth pick or steal any lead or Oare to the value of thirteen pence halfpenny the lord or his Officers may Arrest all his Lead-works.]
1608 J. Day Humour out of Breath sig. F3 He could not hang me for't: tis not worth thirteen pence halfe penny.
1630 T. Dekker Second Pt. Honest Whore v. ii. 146 Why should I eate hempe-seed at the Hangmans thirteene-pence halfe-penny Ordinary?
1723 D. Defoe Hist. Col. Jack (ed. 2) 54 A Paper of old Thirteen-pence-half-penny peices, half, and Quarter Peices, with Nine pences, and Four-pence-half-penny's, all old Crooked Money, Scots and Irish Coin.
1796 S. Pegge Anonymiana (1809) 460 Thirteen-pence halfpenny is Hangman's wages, because there was a piece of money of this sort, as likewise six-pence three-farthings, the half of it, both of them Scotch pieces, brought to us by James the First. I have seen them both.
B. n. (With plural thirteens.)† 2. The name formerly current in Ireland for a silver shilling, as being worth thirteen pence of Irish copper currency. Obsolete.
1.
a. The abstract number; also, a symbol or the figures representing this.That the number is unlucky is a widespread superstition (cf. quots. 1865 at sense A. 2, 1884 at sense A. 2); hence such applications as thirteen club: see quots. 1883, 1905.
ΘΚΠ
the world > relative properties > number > specific numbers > eleven to ninety-nine > [noun] > thirteen > figure denoting
thirteen?a1400
?a1400 in J. O. Halliwell Rara Mathematica (1839) 30 Nombrys..componyd of a digyt and of an articule as fourtene fyftene thrittene and suche other.
1599 J. Minsheu Percyvall's Dict. Spanish & Eng. at Tréze Estárse en sus Tréze, to be in his thirteenes, to be obstinate, to stand still in his purpose.
1883 St. James's Gaz. 26 Oct. The social crusade against the venerable superstition respecting the number 13... Last year, a Thirteen Club was established [in America].
1905 Daily News 6 Feb. 9 Where is the Thirteen Club and its campaign to shame the superstitious public out of their dread of the number 13?
b. A thing distinguished by the number thirteen, as an article of a certain size so called.
ΘΚΠ
the world > relative properties > number > specific numbers > eleven to ninety-nine > [noun] > thirteen > thing distinguished by number
thirteen1799
1799 Hull Advertiser 20 Apr. 2/3 Wine bottles, thirteens, fourteens, and fifteens, at 2s. 6d. per dozen.
1912 N.E.D. at Thirteen Mod. This gentleman takes a thirteen in boots.
ΘΚΠ
society > trade and finance > money > medium of exchange or currency > coins collective > Irish coins > [noun]
harp1543
harp-groat1543
harped groata1549
rose pence1556
smulkinc1571
harp-shilling1591
harper1598
patrick1673
thirteenc1720
fourpence-halfpenny1723
thirteener1762
tenpenny1822
thirteen-penny1828
sun groat1861
twenty-pence piece1981
c1720 J. Swift Dean's Answer 8 Restore..My twelve thirteens and sixpence ha'penny.
1762 S. Foote Orators ii. 55 I'll wager you three thirteens to a rap, that it is no such matter at all, at all.
1810 Naval Chron. 24 151 Oft was his pocket without a thirteen.
1830 F. Marryat King's Own II. i. 3 ‘He says, that it's two thirteens that must be paid for it.’.. ‘Have you two shillings?’
Compounds
C1. Forming attributive phrases, as thirteen-day, thirteen-inch, thirteen-stone; thirteen-ringed, thirteen-square adjs.
ΚΠ
1517 R. Torkington Oldest Diarie Englysshe Trav. (1884) 30 A fayer Tower xiij Sqware.
1798 Hull Advertiser 6 Oct. 2/1 The two thirteen-inch mortars.
1897 M. Kingsley Trav. W. Afr. 263 Getting these twelve to thirteen-stone gentlemen up.
1898 P. Manson Trop. Dis. xxxvii. 589 A thirteen-ringed larva is hatched out from each egg.
1904 Westm. Gaz. 8 Feb. 5/2 The thirteen-story Continental Trust building.
C2. † thirteen-penny n. Obsolete = sense B. 2.
ΘΚΠ
society > trade and finance > money > medium of exchange or currency > coins collective > Irish coins > [noun]
harp1543
harp-groat1543
harped groata1549
rose pence1556
smulkinc1571
harp-shilling1591
harper1598
patrick1673
thirteenc1720
fourpence-halfpenny1723
thirteener1762
tenpenny1822
thirteen-penny1828
sun groat1861
twenty-pence piece1981
1828 W. S. Landor Imaginary Conversat. III. ix. 272 A half-crown contents me..and just for the peg-polisher, a thirteen-penny.
thirteen-year cicada n. (also thirteen-year locust) a periodical cicada that reappears every 13 years rather than every 17.
ΘΚΠ
the world > animals > invertebrates > phylum Arthropoda > class Insecta > subclass Pterygota > [noun] > division Exopterygota or Hemimetabola > order Hemiptera > suborder Homoptera > family Cicadidae > thirteen-year cicada
thirteen-year cicada1846
1846 Dollar Newspaper (Philadelphia) 17 June 2/3 The locusts are said to be thirteen years' locusts, having made their appearance before this time in 1833.
1964 D. J. Borror & D. M. DeLong Introd. Study Insects (ed. 2) xx. 204 There are at least 13 broods of 17-year cicadas and 5 of 13-year cicadas.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1912; most recently modified version published online December 2020).
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adj.n.a900