week

week
\ \ [OE] Week evolved from a prehistoric Germanic *wikōn, which also produced German woche, Dutch week, Swedish vecka, and Danish uge. This was probably derived from the base *wik- ‘bend, turn, change’ (source also of English weak), and it is thought that it may originally have denoted ‘time-change’, perhaps with specific reference to the change of phase of the moon.

Word origins - 2ed. . 2005.

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  • week — W1S1 [wi:k] n [: Old English; Origin: wicu] 1.) a period of seven days and nights, usually measured in Britain from Monday to Sunday and in the US from Sunday to Saturday once/twice/three times etc a week ▪ Letters were delivered twice a week… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • week — [ wik ] noun count *** a period of seven days, usually counted from a Sunday: He travels south two days a week. That left 15 dollars per week for food. last/next week: He will meet his uncle in Boston next week. a. a week in which particular… …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • week — [wēk] n. [ME weke < OE wicu with lengthened & lowered vowel, akin to Ger woche (OHG wohha) < IE * weig , to bend (see WEAK): basic sense “period of change”] 1. a period of seven days, esp. one beginning with Sunday and ending with Saturday… …   English World dictionary

  • week — /week/, n. 1. a period of seven successive days, usually understood as beginning with Sunday and ending with Saturday. 2. a period of seven successive days that begins with or includes an indicated day: the week of June 3; Christmas week. 3.… …   Universalium

  • week|ly — «WEEK lee», adjective, adverb, noun, plural lies. –adj. 1. of a week; for a week; lasting a week. 2. done, happening, or appearing once a week or each week: »She writes a weekly letter to her grandmother. 3. of or having to do with the working… …   Useful english dictionary

  • Week — Week, n. [OE. weke, wike, woke, wuke AS. weocu, wicu, wucu; akin to OS. wika, OFries. wike, D. week, G. woche, OHG. wohha, wehha, Icel. vika, Sw. vecka, Dan. uge, Goth. wik?, probably originally meaning, a succession or change, and akin to G.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • week — O.E. wice, from P.Gmc. *wikon (Cf. O.N. vika, O.Fris. wike, M.Du. weke, O.H.G. wecha, Ger. woche), probably originally with the sense of a turning or succession (Cf. Goth. wikon in the course of, O.N. vika sea mile, originally change of oar …   Etymology dictionary

  • week in — week in, week out Continuously without a break • • • Main Entry: ↑week …   Useful english dictionary

  • week — ► NOUN 1) a period of seven days. 2) the period of seven days generally reckoned from and to midnight on Saturday night. 3) chiefly Brit. (preceded by a specified day) a week after (that day). 4) the five days from Monday to Friday, or the time… …   English terms dictionary

  • Week — For more details on each day of the week, see Weekday names. For the TV station in the Peoria Bloomington, Illinois market, see WEEK TV. Weeks redirects here. For other uses, see Weeks (disambiguation). A week is a time unit equal to seven days.… …   Wikipedia

  • week — n. 1) to spend a week (somewhere) 2) last; next; this week 3) a week from (Tuesday) 4) by the week (she is paid by the week) 5) during the week 6) for a week (they came here for a week) 7) for weeks (she hasn t been here for weeks; AE also has:… …   Combinatory dictionary

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