Etimology
From Middle English thirde, thridde, from Old English þridda, from Proto-Germanic *þridjô, from Pre-Germanic *tretyós, a remodeling of Proto-Indo-European *tr̥tyós.
adjective
third (not comparable)
The ordinal form of the cardinal number three; Coming after the second.
Examples
The third tree from the left is my favorite.
The second and third quarters of the shield are indecipherable on the stone but clearer in two other representations of the arms, a painted wooden funeral hatchment for Mary Davie […]
Related words
synonyms
3rd, 3d, IIIrd, III
noun
third (countable and uncountable, plural thirds)
The person or thing in the third position.
One of three equal parts of a whole.
(uncountable) The third gear of a gearbox.
(music) An interval consisting of the first and third notes in a scale.
(baseball) third base
(golf) A handicap of one stroke every third hole.
A third-class degree, awarded to the lowest achievers in an honours degree programme
(archaic) One sixtieth of a second, i.e., the third in a series of fractional parts in a sexagesimal number system. Also formerly known as a tierce.
Examples
Jones came in third.
He ate a third of the pie. Divided by two-thirds.
Despite these uncertainties, Clarke told MPs he was convinced of the need to order trains powered by batteries. He said: "We're calling for a 'no regrets' order of battery trains because we see them always having a future. We see them being fundable, financeable, similar cost to diesel trains, and we know that however much electrification we would aspire to do, there's always going to be at least a third of the network that isn't electrified.
Now put it into third.
They sing in thirds.
The play ended with Jones standing on third.
Related words
synonyms
(gear): third gear
(fractions): third part, ⅓
related terms
riding
verb
third (third-person singular simple present thirds, present participle thirding, simple past and past participle thirded)
(informal) To agree with a proposition or statement after it has already been seconded.
To divide into three equal parts.
Related words
related terms
major third
minor third
third gear
third person