fourteen

Fourteen is the natural number that follows thirteen and precedes fifteen. It is an even integer and the product of two primes, 2 and 7, making it a semiprime. The positive divisors of 14 are 1, 2, 7, and 14. Its proper divisors sum to 10, which is less than 14, so it is not a perfect number. In Roman numerals, fourteen is written as XIV.

The word fourteen derives from four plus teen, with the teen element tracing back to the Old English term for ten. This formation is shared with other English teens such as thirteen and fifteen. In other languages, the number is expressed differently: in French quatorze, in German vierzehn, and in Spanish catorce. In Arabic numerals, it is written as 14, and in binary as 1110; in hexadecimal it is 0xE or simply E.

Scientifically, 14 is the atomic number of silicon (Si), a metalloid element that is foundational to modern electronics and semiconductors. The number also appears in geography and culture; for example, mountains exceeding 14,000 feet in elevation are known as “fourteeners,” a term commonly used in the western United States to describe high peaks.

In summary, fourteen is a small but structurally significant number in mathematics, a component in various numeral systems, and a marker in science and culture.