THIRD Definition & Meaning

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third

[ thurd ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

adjective

next after the second; being the ordinal number for three.
being one of three equal parts.
Automotive. of, relating to, or operating at the gear transmission ratio at which the drive shaft speed is greater than that of second gear for a given engine crankshaft speed, but not as great as that of fourth gear, if such exists:
third gear.
rated, graded, or ranked one level below the second:
He's third engineer on the ship.

noun

a third part, especially of one (1/3).
the third member of a series.
Automotive. third gear:
Don't try to start a car when it's in third.
a person or thing next after second in rank, precedence, order:
The writer of the best essay will receive a gold medal, the second a silver, and the third a bronze.
Usually thirds. Law.
1. the third part of the personal property of a deceased husband, which in certain circumstances goes absolutely to the widow.
2. a widow's dower.
Music.
1. a tone on the third degree from a given tone (counted as the first).
2. the interval between such tones.
3. the harmonic combination of such tones.
Baseball. third base.
Usually thirds. Commerce. a product or goods below second quality. Compare first ( def 17 ), second ¹( def 23 ).

adverb

in the third place; thirdly.

third

/ θɜː�� /

adjective

1. coming after the second and preceding the fourth in numbering or counting order, position, time, etc; being the ordinal number of three: often written 3rd
2. ( as noun )
  he arrives on the third
  the third got a prize
rated, graded, or ranked below the second level
denoting the third from lowest forward ratio of a gearbox in a motor vehicle

noun

1. one of three equal or nearly equal parts of an object, quantity, etc
2. ( as modifier )
  a third part
the fraction equal to one divided by three ( 1 3 )
the forward ratio above second of a gearbox in a motor vehicle. In some vehicles it is the top gear
1. the interval between one note and another three notes away from it counting inclusively along the diatonic scale
2. one of two notes constituting such an interval in relation to the other See also interval major minor
an honours degree of the third and usually the lowest class Full termthird class honours degree
plural goods of a standard lower than that of seconds

adverb

Alsothirdly in the third place

sentence connector

Alsothirdly as the third point: linking what follows with the previous statements as in a speech or argument

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Derived Forms

ˈ�ٳ󾱰��, adverb

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Other 51�Թ� Forms

�ٳ󾱰��l�� adverb

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51�Թ� History and Origins

Origin of third¹

before 900; Middle English thirde, Old English (north) thirda, variant of thridda; cognate with Dutch derde, German dritte, Old Norse thrithi, Gothic thridja, Greek �ٰ�í�ٴǲ�, Latin tertius, Sanskrit ��ṛtī�ⲹ. See three

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51�Թ� History and Origins

Origin of third¹

Old English thirda, variant of thridda; related to Old Frisian thredda, Old Saxon thriddio, Old High German drittio, Old Norse thrithi, Latin tertius

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Example Sentences

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The win, combined with Denver’s loss to the Warriors, has the Lakers third in the West heading into the final week of the regular season.

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A third of its revenue, for example, is consumed by selling and administrative expense.

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Yamamoto misfired on a pick-off throw to third that allowed Trea Turner to score.

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The system brought less than a tenth of an inch to downtown Los Angeles and a third of an inch to the California State University Northridge campus, according to the weather service.

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The US imports about a third of its softwood lumber from Canada each year, and that key building material could be hit by Trump's tariffs.

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