quadruple witching

noun

Simultaneous expiry on US markets of stock index futures, stock index options, stock options, and single stock futures, which takes place on the third Friday of March, June, September, and December. (Prior to single stock futures those days were triple witching.)

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Meanings

nounquadruple witching (uncountable)
  1. uncountablebusinessSimultaneous expiry on US markets of stock index futures, stock index options, stock options, and single stock futures, which takes place on the third Friday of March, June, September, and December. (Prior to single stock futures those days were triple witching.)

Origin

The idea of witching for these days is from the unusual patterns of trading that can occur ahead of the contract expiries.

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Cite this entry
APA

quadruple witching. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/quadruple%20witching

MLA

“quadruple witching.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/quadruple%20witching. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “quadruple witching,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/quadruple%20witching.

Source: quadruple witching on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.