sennight

See also: se'nnight

English

Alternative forms

• se'nnight
• se'night

Etymology

From Middle English senight, sinight, a shortened form of Middle English sevenight, sevennyght. Doublet of sevennight.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈsɛnɑɪt/

Noun

sennight (plural sennights)

1. (archaic) A period of seven nights; a week.
   • c. 1599-1600, William Shakespeare, As You Like It Act III, scene ii.

     […] if the interim be but a se'nnight, Time's pace is so hard that it seems the length of seven year.

   • c. 1599-1606, William Shakespeare, Macbeth Act I, scene iii.

     Weary se'nnights nine times nine, Shall he dwindle, peak and pine:

Synonyms

• (seven nights): week

Adverb

sennight (not comparable)

1. (archaic) After a sennight has passed.
   • 1815, Jane Austen, Emma

     I was snowed up at a friend's house once for a week. Nothing could be pleasanter. I went for only one night, and could not get away till that very day se'nnight.

   • 1928, Virginia Woolf, Orlando

     As for his marriage with the Lady Margaret, fixed though it was for this day sennight, the thing was so palpably absurd that he scarcely gave it a thought.

2. (archaic) A sennight ago.
   • 1813, Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice

     It will be in my power to assure him that her ladyship was quite well yesterday se'nnight.

See also

• fortnight

References

• sennight in An American Dictionary of the English Language, by Noah Webster, 1828.
• sennight at worldwidewords.org (retrieved 26 August 2015)