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Definition of Triskaidekaphobia

Medically reviewed by Dr. Otari Nergadze, Neurosurgeon | Updated: January 2026

Triskaidekaphobia: Fear of the number 13. Written reference to this fear dates to the late 1800s. The term triskaidekaphobia appeared in the early 1900s. It is not easy to pronounce unless one speaks Greek. From treiskaideka, the Greek word for thirteen + phobia, fear of = a fear of thirteen.