Thursday

noun

Thurs·​day ˈthərz-(ˌ)dā  -dē 

: the fifth day of the week

Thursdays

ˈthərz-(ˌ)dāz 

-dēz

adverb

Examples of Thursday in a Sentence

He was late last Thursday.

We went on Thursday and returned on Saturday.

Recent Examples on the Web

The same Thursday the reparations task force met for the final time, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down affirmative action policies at colleges and universities. —Erika D. Smith, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2024

The grass fire that sparked on the Alameda County border came under full containment Thursday afternoon after charring 14,168 acres in San Joaquin County. —Daniel Hunt, Sacramento Bee, 8 June 2024

On Thursday, a murder-suicide in a Coral Gables apartment complex left a man and woman dead and her 20-year-old son wounded. —Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 8 June 2024

Johnson smiled Thursday when describing the sequence to reporters in an interview at the Chiefs Charity Softball Game. —Jesse Newell, Kansas City Star, 8 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English thursdæg, from Old Norse thōrsdagr; akin to Old English thunresdæg Thursday, Old Norse Thōrr Thor, Old English thunor thunder — more at thunder entry 1

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing Thursday

• Holy Thursday
• Maundy Thursday

Kids Definition

Thursday

noun

Thurs·​day ˈthərz-dē 

: the fifth day of the week

Etymology

Old English thursdæg, from early Norse thōrsdagr, literally "day of Thor"

Word Origin

Among the many gods worshiped by the Germanic people who lived in northern Europe in ancient times was one whose name was Thor. Thor was the god of thunder, weather, and crops. In the early Norse language, the fifth day of the week was known as thōrsdagr, literally "day of Thor," in his honor. The Norse name came into Old English as thursdæg, which in time became the Modern English Thursday.