thirteenth grade
- noun
- /ˈθɜrˌtiːnθ ɡreɪd/
- Informal
:
decimotercer grado
- After failing several classes, he ended up spending a thirteenth grade at his high school.
Examples
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Some students feel like they're in thirteenth grade because they're not ready to move on.
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The community college was jokingly referred to as 'thirteenth grade' by recent graduates.
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After failing the exam, he felt like he was in thirteenth grade again.
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Many students joke about their thirteenth grade experience.
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After failing several classes, he ended up spending a thirteenth grade at his high school.
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Some students feel like they're in thirteenth grade because they're not ready to move on.
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The community college was jokingly referred to as 'thirteenth grade' by recent graduates.
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is a straightforward composition of 'thirteenth' (13th) and 'grade' (a school year), so a learner who knows both words will infer it denotes the 13th school year or an extra year beyond the usual sequence. Although usage is informal and educational systems vary, the meaning is directly derivable from the constituents and thus predictable for learners.
Etymology
Thirteenth grade comes from the simple idea of adding one more year after the usual twelve grades of school. Because most schools stop at grade 12, people use thirteenth grade to mean an extra year at high school or, jokingly, a place for students who are still 'not ready to move on'.
