quartodeciman

noun

quar·​to·​dec·​i·​man
plural -s
1
usually capitalized : one of a group in the early church especially in Asia Minor who during the 2d century and until the Nicene council in 325 observed Easter on the 14th of Nisan, the day the Jews slaughtered the Passover lamb, regardless of which day of the week that was
2
: one of the Celtic Christians in the British Isles in the 7th century who followed a different mode of calculating the date of Easter from that used on the continent

Word History

Etymology

Late Latin quartodecimanus, from Latin quartus decimus fourteenth (from quartus fourth + decimus tenth) + -anus -an; akin to Latin quattuor four

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

  • More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
  • Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
  • Advanced search features
  • Ad free!

Dictionary Entries Near quartodeciman

Cite this Entry

“Quartodeciman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quartodeciman. Accessed 24 Nov. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!