triskaidekaphobia

noun

tris·​kai·​deka·​pho·​bia ˌtri-ˌskī-ˌde-kə-ˈfō-bē-ə  ˌtri-skə- 

: fear of the number 13

Did you know?

It's impossible to say just how or when the number thirteen got its bad reputation. There are a number of theories, of course. Some say it comes from the Last Supper because Jesus was betrayed afterwards by one among the thirteen present. Others trace the source of the superstition back to ancient Hindu beliefs or Norse mythology. But if written references are any indication, the phenomenon isn't all that old (at least, not among English speakers). Known mention of fear of thirteen in print dates back only to the late 1800s. By circa 1911, however, it was prevalent enough to merit a name, which was formed by attaching the Greek word for "thirteen"—treiskaideka (dropping that first "e")—to phobia ("fear of").

Examples of triskaidekaphobia in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Whatever the reason, the number 13 is a real thing, so much so that it has been given its own name – triskaidekaphobia. —Leada Gore | [e-mail], al, 13 May 2022

Get a grip on your triskaidekaphobia and revisit this seminal 1980 slasher flick about oversexed young camp counselors and the knife- and -ax-wielding homicidal maniac who hates them. —Matt Cooperlistings Coordinator, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2022

Friday is Friday the 13th, a day for all those suffering from triskaidekaphobia to beware! —CBS News, 8 Sep. 2019

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Greek treiskaideka thirteen (from treis three + kai and + deka ten) + New Latin phobia — more at three, ten

First Known Use

circa 1909, in the meaning defined above

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Medical Definition

triskaidekaphobia

noun

tris·​kai·​deka·​pho·​bia ˌtris-ˌkī-ˌdek-ə-ˈfō-bē-ə  ˌtris-kə- 

: fear of the number 13