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.
the third part of the personal property of a deceased husband, which in certain circumstances goes absolutely to the widow.
a widow's dower.
Music.
a tone on the third degree from a given tone (counted as the first).
the interval between such tones.
the harmonic combination of such tones.
Baseball. third base.
Usually thirds.Commerce. a product or goods below second quality.Compare first (def. 17), second1 (def. 23).
adverb
in the third place; thirdly.
Origin of third
before 900; Middle English thirde,Old English (north) thirda, variant of thridda; cognate with Dutch derde,German dritte,Old Norse thrithi,Gothic thridja,Greek trítos,Latin tertius,Sanskrit tṛtīya.See three
OTHER WORDS FROM third
thirdly,adverb
Words nearby third
thiouracil, thiourea, thioxanthene, thir, thiram, third, Third Age, Third Amendment, third base, third baseman, third class
It will not be easy to imagine any third mode materially different, which could rationally be proposed.
The Federalist Papers|Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison
And this rapid change, this third engagement within a few weeks,—was disgusting to her as a woman.
The American Senator|Anthony Trollope
Was there a third accomplice—for she thought she could see two spots of deeper blackness by the door—hidden in the house?
The Green Satin Gown|Laura E. Richards
Now, we could do wi' a third horse—get yourself ready, and drive over there, and take a look at it.
The Root of All Evil|J. S. Fletcher
Gehenna was created before Paradise; the former on the second day and the latter on the third.
Hebraic Literature; Translations from the Talmud, Midrashim and Kabbala|Various
British Dictionary definitions for third
third
/ (θɜːd) /
adjective(usually prenominal)
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
(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
one of three equal or nearly equal parts of an object, quantity, etc
(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
the interval between one note and another three notes away from it counting inclusively along the diatonic scale
one of two notes constituting such an interval in relation to the otherSee also interval (def. 5), major (def. 15), minor (def. 4d)
Britishan honours degree of the third and usually the lowest classFull term: third class honours degree
(plural)goods of a standard lower than that of seconds
adverb
Also: thirdlyin the third place
sentence connector
Also: thirdlyas the third point: linking what follows with the previous statements as in a speech or argument
Derived forms of third
thirdly, adverb
Word Origin for third
Old English thirda, variant of thridda; related to Old Frisian thredda, Old Saxon thriddio, Old High German drittio, Old Norse thrithi, Latin tertius