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fortnight

 - 3 dictionary results

fort⋅night

  [fawrt-nahyt, -nit]
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–noun
the space of fourteen nights and days; two weeks.
Origin:
bef. 1000; ME fourtenight, contr. of OE fēowertēne niht. See fourteen, night
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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fort·night   (fôrt'nīt')   
n.  A period of 14 days; two weeks.

[Middle English fourtenight, alteration of fourtene night, fourteen nights : Old English fēowertēne, fourteen; see kwetwer- in Indo-European roots + Old English niht, night; see nokwt- in Indo-European roots.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

fortnight 
17c. contraction of M.E. fourteniht, from O.E. feowertyne niht, lit. "fourteen nights," preserving the ancient Gmc. custom of reckoning by nights, mentioned by Tacitus in "Germania" xi.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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