thirteenth
thirteenth — ordinal number
1. the form of the number thirteen that tells you a person or thing is number thirt
the form of the number thirteen that tells you a person or thing is number thirteen in a series when you count from the start
Renata finished the race in thirteenth place out of forty runners.
ordinal + 'place' for competition ranking
The store closes on the thirteenth of every month for stocktaking.
the thirteenth + of + month for dates
This is the thirteenth time Eitan has asked the same question today.
Emre was the thirteenth person to sign up for the workshop.
- first
occupies position 1, not 13
文法句型
the thirteenth + noun
the thirteenth of + month
用法筆記
Commonly appears in dates (the thirteenth of May), floor numbers, competition rankings, and numbered items. Unlike cardinal numbers, ordinals nearly always appear with 'the' before them.
常見錯誤
thirteenth — noun
1. one of thirteen equal-sized pieces that can be put together to make a complete t
one of thirteen equal-sized pieces that can be put together to make a complete thing or amount
Zuri ate a thirteenth of the chocolate bar and saved the rest.
a thirteenth of + noun phrase
A thirteenth of the annual budget goes toward library books.
Putri divided the clay into thirteenths so each student had the same amount.
Haruto calculated that one thirteenth of the farm was used for vegetables.
- thirteenth part
more explicit, used in formal writing
文法句型
a thirteenth of + noun
one thirteenth of + noun
用法筆記
More common in written or formal mathematical contexts than in everyday speech. In casual conversation, people typically say 'one out of thirteen' or 'one thirteenth'. The plural form 'thirteenths' is occasionally used when listing multiple equal divisions.
常見錯誤
thirteenth — adjective
1. occupying position thirteen in an ordered series, so that twelve people or thing
occupying position thirteen in an ordered series, so that twelve people or things have come before it
The clinic is on the thirteenth floor of the new hospital tower.
thirteenth floor in buildings
Saira celebrated her thirteenth birthday with a small party at home.
The thirteenth chapter of the novel reveals the detective's secret past.
Mathieu's thirteenth attempt to bake sourdough bread finally produced a perfect loaf.
- first
the opening item in a series, not position thirteen
文法句型
the thirteenth + noun
用法筆記
The most frequent sense of 'thirteenth' in everyday reading. It always comes before the noun it describes. Common noun partners include 'floor', 'century', 'birthday', 'attempt', 'edition', 'chapter', and 'year'. Many buildings in Western countries skip labeling the thirteenth floor due to superstition about the number.
常見錯誤
2. making up or measuring one of thirteen equal sections of a total amount or whole
making up or measuring one of thirteen equal sections of a total amount or whole object
Anya received a thirteenth share of her grandmother's estate after the will was read.
thirteenth share in legal/financial contexts
The farmer set aside a thirteenth portion of the wheat harvest for the village mill.
Each thirteenth section of the divided property was too small for a house.
Feng calculated the thirteenth part of the total cost and wrote a cheque for that amount.
- one-thirteenth
the more common compound adjective form in modern English
文法句型
a thirteenth + noun
thirteenth + noun measuring a part
用法筆記
This sense is much less common than the sequential adjective sense. In everyday English, people usually say 'one-thirteenth' as a compound adjective (e.g., 'a one-thirteenth share') or simply use the noun form 'a thirteenth of'. The adjective form is mainly found in legal, mathematical, or historical texts.