fifteenth, a. and n.
(fɪfˈtiːnθ, ˈfɪftiːnθ)
Forms: 1 f{iacu}fteiðe, -éoða, -é(o)ᵹða, 3 fiftéoða, south. viftethe, vyfteoþe, 3–4 fiftend(e, 4 south. vyfteoþe, 6 Kent vifftend, 4–7 fiftenth(e, (4 fiftenþe), 5–6 fyfte(n)th(e, (6 -teenth), 6–7 fivete(e)nth, 6– fifteenth.
[OE. f{iacu}ftéoða (fem. and neut. -e), f. f{iacu}fténe fifteen on the analogy of téoða tenth. From the 14th c. the forms descending from the OE. become rare, being superseded by a new formation on fifteen + -th1, which still remains. A third form of the ordinal, fiftend(e, appears in the Ormulum, Hampole and the Cursor Mundi, and appears to be due to Scandinavian influence; cf. ON. fimtánde (Sw. femtonde, Da. femtende). The other Teut. langs. agree with the ON. in having the ordinal suffix as -d- instead of -þ-; OFris. fîftînde, OS. *fifteindo (Du. vijftiende), OHG. funfzêndo (MHG. vünfzehende, mod.Ger. fünfzehnte), Goth. fimfta-taihunda (= fifth + tenth).]
The ordinal numeral belonging to the cardinal fifteen.
A. adj.
1. In concord with n. expressed.
| c 900 Bæda's Hist. iv. xxvii. [xxvi.] (1891) 358 Þy fifteᵹðan ᵹeare. c 1000 Sax. Leechd. III. 190 Mone se fifteoða. c 1200 Ormin 9170 Onn hiss fiftende winnterr. 1297 R. Glouc. (1724) 522 The viftethe peni of hor god. 1382 Wyclif Num. xxviii. 17 In the fiftenthe day. a 1440 Sir Degrev. 1869 One the fyftethe day. 1535 Coverdale 2 Kings xiv. 23 In the fyftenth yeare of Amasias. 1749 Fielding Tom Jones xv. xii, And here we put an end to the fifteenth book. 1851 Ruskin Stones Ven. (1874) I. i. 30 Dull inventions of the fifteenth century. |
2. With ellipsis of n.
| 1641 Milton Ch. Govt. i. vi. 25 A councell, from which by any thing that can be learnt from the fifteenth of the Acts, no faithful Christian was debarr'd. 1753 N. Torriano Gangr. Sore Throat 125 She having had a very bad Night from the Fourteenth to the Fifteenth. |
3. fifteenth part: one of fifteen equal parts into which a quantity may be divided.
| 1626 Bacon Sylva §798 A Fifteenth Part of Siluer. 1662 J. Graunt Bills of Mortality vii. 42 London..bear[s] the fifteenth part of the charge of the whole Nation in all Publick Taxes. |
B. n.
1. A fifteenth part; esp. in Eng. Hist. A tax of one-fifteenth formerly imposed on personal property.
| c 1380 Wyclif Eng. Wks. (1880) 66 Men supposen alle þes passen þre fiftenþes. 1496–7 Act. Hen. VII, c. 12 (title) An Acte for Fyftenthes and Tenthes. 1518 MS. Acc. St. John's Hosp., Canterb., Payd for ij wrytys for alowans off þe vifftend. 1647 N. Bacon Disc. Govt. Eng. i. lxiv. (1739) 133 He took a fifteenth which was granted to his Father. 1765 Blackstone Comm. I. i. viii. 298 Tenths and fifteenths were temporary aids..granted to the king by parliament. 1879 Castle Law of Rating 21 The collectors of the tenths and fifteenths granted to the King in the City of London. |
2. Mus. a. (see quot. 1876.) b. (see quot. 1880.)
| a. 1597 Morley Introd. Mus. 71 An eight, a twelfth, a fifteenth..and so forth..be perfect cordes. 1609 Douland Ornith. Microl. 79 Others are tripled, to wit, a fifteenth, which is equall to the sound of an Vnison, and an Eight. 1876 Stainer & Barrett Dict. Mus. Terms, Fifteenth, the interval of a double octave. |
| b. 1613 Organ Specif. Worcester Cathedral, In the choir organ..1 smal principal or fiftenth of mettal. 1776 Sir J. Hawkins Hist. Music IV. i. x. 149 Of the stops of an organ, the most usual are the Diapasons..Tenth, Twelfth, Fifteenth [etc.]. 1880 Grove Dict. Mus., Fifteenth is a stop or set of pipes in an organ sounding 2 octaves or 15 notes above the Open diapason. |
Hence fifˈteenthly adv., in the fifteenth place.
| a 1642 Sir W. Monson Naval Tracts iii. (1704) 322/1 Fifteenthly, they ought to take Account. 1691–8 Norris Pract. Disc. (1711) III. 170 When he shall yet further consider Fifteenthly. |