third

[ thurd ]

adjective

1. next after the second; being the ordinal number for three.
2. being one of three equal parts.
3. 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.

4. rated, graded, or ranked one level below the second:

   He's third engineer on the ship.

noun

1. a third part, especially of one (1/3).
2. the third member of a series.
3. Automotive. third gear:

   Don't try to start a car when it's in third.

4. 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.

5. 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.
6. 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.
7. Baseball. third base.
8. Usually thirds. Commerce. a product or goods below second quality. Compare first ( def 17 ), second ¹( def 23 ).

adverb

1. in the third place; thirdly.

third

/ θɜːd /

adjective

1. 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

2. rated, graded, or ranked below the second level
3. denoting the third from lowest forward ratio of a gearbox in a motor vehicle

noun

1. 1. one of three equal or nearly equal parts of an object, quantity, etc
   2. ( as modifier )

      a third part

2. the fraction equal to one divided by three ( 1 3 )
3. the forward ratio above second of a gearbox in a motor vehicle. In some vehicles it is the top gear
4. 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
5. an honours degree of the third and usually the lowest class Full termthird class honours degree
6. plural goods of a standard lower than that of seconds

adverb

1. Alsothirdly in the third place

sentence connector

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

Derived Forms

• ˈthirdly, adverb

Other Words From

• thirdly adverb

Word 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 trítos, Latin tertius, Sanskrit tṛtīya. See three

Word 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

Example Sentences

But by Tuesday, four days ahead of its crosstown matchup with UCLA, it had finally caught up with Lincoln Riley, whose third rivalry week at USC now promises to be an especially viral one.

From Los Angeles Times

Think the need for a third espresso to maintain the same level of concentration you once achieved with a single shot.

From Science Daily

For the third year in a row, Jay Leno is bouncing back after an ugly injury.

From Los Angeles Times

These ties will see the teams who finished third in League A playing two-legged ties against second-placed sides from League B, with winner of those takes taking place in League A.

From BBC

The third cluster usually presented with spinal deformities, which may require the standard decompression procedure and possible further spine surgeries.

From Science Daily