third
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Related to third: third base, third trimester
third
(thûrd)n.
1. The ordinal number matching the number three in a series.
2. One of three equal parts.
3. Music
a. An interval of three degrees in a diatonic scale.
b. A tone separated by three degrees from a given tone, especially the third tone of a scale.
4. The transmission gear or gear ratio used to produce forward speeds next higher to those of second in a motor vehicle.
5. Baseball Third base.
6. thirds Merchandise whose quality is below the standard set for seconds.
[Middle English thridde, therdde, third, from Old English thridda; see trei- in Indo-European roots.]
third adv. & adj.
Word History: Every native speaker knows that the cardinal three and the ordinal third are closely related, but many may wonder why the r comes before the vowel in the former and after in the latter. What we have here is metathesis, the switching of the order of two sounds. This is a common occurrence in languages, and especially so in English with the consonant r. In Old English, three was thrīe, and third was thridda. Thridda would have given us thrid in Modern English except for the metathesis of r and i. This metathesis began in Old English times in Northumbria: thridda appears as thirdda in Northumbrian manuscripts. The metathesis spread south during Middle English times and also affected many other words, including bird (originally bridd in Old English and in Chaucer's Middle English), and nostril, literally "nose hole" (from Old English thyrl). Metathesis even produced the curious form throp from thorp, "village," which survives in the proper name Winthrop.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
third
(θɜːd)adj (usually prenominal)
1. (Mathematics)
a. 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
b. (as noun): he arrives on the third; the third got a prize.
2. rated, graded, or ranked below the second level
3. (Automotive Engineering) denoting the third from lowest forward ratio of a gearbox in a motor vehicle
n
4. (Mathematics)
a. one of three equal or nearly equal parts of an object, quantity, etc
b. (as modifier): a third part.
5. (Mathematics) the fraction equal to one divided by three ()
6. (Automotive Engineering) the forward ratio above second of a gearbox in a motor vehicle. In some vehicles it is the top gear
7. (Classical Music)
a. the interval between one note and another three notes away from it counting inclusively along the diatonic scale
8. (Education) Brit an honours degree of the third and usually the lowest class. Full term: third class honours degree
9. (Commerce) (plural) goods of a standard lower than that of seconds
adv
Also: thirdly in the third place
sentence connector
Also: thirdly as the third point: linking what follows with the previous statements as in a speech or argument
[Old English thirda, variant of thridda; related to Old Frisian thredda, Old Saxon thriddio, Old High German drittio, Old Norse thrithi, Latin tertius]
ˈthirdly adv
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
third
(θɜrd)adj.
1. next after the second; being the ordinal number for three.
2. being one of three equal parts.
3. pertaining to the gear transmission ratio at which the drive shaft speed is next greater than that of second gear.
4. graded or ranked one level below the second: third mate.
n. 5. a third part, esp. of one (?).
6. the third member of a series.
7. third gear.
8. a person or thing next after second in rank or precedence.
9.
a. a musical interval encompassing three diatonic degrees.
b. a tone at this interval.
c. the harmonic combination of two tones a third apart.
10. Usu., thirds. a product or goods below second quality.
adv. 11. in the third place; thirdly.
[before 900; Middle English thirde, Old English (north) thirda, variant of thridda, c. Old Frisian thredda, Old Saxon thriddio, Old High German dritt(i)o, Old Norse thrithi, Gothic thridja. See three]
third′ly, adv.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
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| Noun | 1. |  third - one of three equal parts of a divisible whole; "it contains approximately a third of the minimum daily requirement"common fraction, simple fraction - the quotient of two integers |
| 2. | third - the fielding position of the player on a baseball team who is stationed near the third of the bases in the infield (counting counterclockwise from home plate); "he is playing third" position - (in team sports) the role assigned to an individual player; "what position does he play?" baseball team - a team that plays baseball | |
| 3. | third - following the second position in an ordering or series; "a distant third"; "he answered the first question willingly, the second reluctantly, and the third with resentment" rank - relative status; "his salary was determined by his rank and seniority" | |
| 4. | third - the musical interval between one note and another three notes away from it; "a simple harmony written in major thirds" musical interval, interval - the difference in pitch between two notes | |
| 5. |  third - the third from the lowest forward ratio gear in the gear box of a motor vehicle; "you shouldn't try to start in third gear"auto, automobile, car, motorcar, machine - a motor vehicle with four wheels; usually propelled by an internal combustion engine; "he needs a car to get to work" gear mechanism, gear - a mechanism for transmitting motion for some specific purpose (as the steering gear of a vehicle) | |
| 6. |  third - the base that must be touched third by a base runner in baseball; "he was cut down on a close play at third" | |
| Adj. | 1. |  third - coming next after the second and just before the fourth in positionordinal - being or denoting a numerical order in a series; "ordinal numbers"; "held an ordinal rank of seventh" |
| Adv. | 1. | third - in the third place; "third we must consider unemployment" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
Translations
الثَّالِثالثالِثثالثثالِثثالثة
třetinatřetítřetí osobatercie
tredjetredjedel
tria
kolmaskolmasosakolmannes
trećitrećina
harmadikharmad
òriîjiòriîjungursá òriîjiþriðjaþriðji
三番目三番目の
3분의 1세 번째의
tertius
trečdalistrečiatrečiastrečiasis pasaulistrečioji šalis
trešaistrešajā vietātrešdaļa
tretítretina
tretjitretjina
tredjetredjedeltrea
เศษหนึ่งส่วนสามซึ่งเป็นลำดับที่สาม
üçüncü1/33.üncüüçte biri
thứ bamột phần ba
third
[θɜːd]B. N
1. (in series) → tercero/a m/f
2. (= fraction) → tercio m, tercera parte f
two thirds of the votes → dos tercios de los votos
two thirds of those present → las dos terceras partes de los asistentes
two thirds of the votes → dos tercios de los votos
two thirds of those present → las dos terceras partes de los asistentes
3. (Mus) → tercera f
4. (Brit) (Univ) → tercera clase f
C. ADV → en tercer lugar
to finish third (in race) → llegar en tercer lugar
to travel third → viajar en tercera clase
to finish third (in race) → llegar en tercer lugar
to travel third → viajar en tercera clase
D. CPD third degree N
see degree A3
see also third-degree third estate N → estado m llano
third party N → tercero m, tercera persona f
third party insurance N → seguro m contra terceros, seguro m de responsabilidad social (Sp)
an insurance policy with third-party liability → una póliza de seguros con responsabilidad contra terceros
third person N (Ling) → tercera persona f
third way N (Pol) → tercera vía f
Third World N → Tercer Mundo m
see also third-world
see degree A3
see also third-degree third estate N → estado m llano
third party N → tercero m, tercera persona f
third party insurance N → seguro m contra terceros, seguro m de responsabilidad social (Sp)
an insurance policy with third-party liability → una póliza de seguros con responsabilidad contra terceros
third person N (Ling) → tercera persona f
third way N (Pol) → tercera vía f
Third World N → Tercer Mundo m
see also third-world
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
third
[ˈθɜːrd] adj → troisième
the third day → le troisième jour
the third time → la troisième fois
the third floor → le troisième étage
the third day → le troisième jour
the third time → la troisième fois
the third floor → le troisième étage
n (gen) → troisième mf
(also third gear) → troisième f
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
third
adj
(in series) → dritte(r, s); to be third → Dritte(r, s) sein; in third place (Sport etc) → an dritter Stelle; in the third place (= thirdly) → drittens; third time around → beim dritten Mal; she was or came third in her class → sie war die Drittbeste in der Klasse; he was or came third in the race → er machte or belegte den dritten Platz beim Rennen; third time lucky → beim dritten Anlauf gelingts!; the third finger (Anat) → der Ringfinger
(of fraction) a third part → ein Drittel nt
n
(Mus) → Terz f
third
:third-class
adv → dritter Klasse
adj
(lit) → dritter Klasse; (fig) → drittklassig; third degree (Brit Univ) → Abschluss m → mit „Befriedigend“
(US Post) mail, stamp → dritter Klasse
third degree
n to give somebody the third (lit) → (beim Verhör) Stufe drei einschalten; (fig) → jdn in die Zange nehmen
third-degree burn
n (Med) → Verbrennung f → dritten Grades
third
:third party
n → Dritte(r) mf, → dritte Person
third-party (Brit)
adj attr → Haftpflicht-; third insurance → Haftpflichtversicherung f; third, fire and theft (insurance) → ˜ Teilkaskoversicherung f
adv insured third → in einer Haftpflichtversicherung, haftpflichtversichert
third person
adj → in der dritten Person
third-rate
adj → drittklassig, drittrangig
third reading
n (Parl) → dritte Lesung
Third World
n → Dritte Welt
attr → der Dritten Welt
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
third
[θɜːd]2. n
b. (Brit) (Scol) (degree) laurea col minimo dei voti
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
third
(θəːd) noun1. one of three equal parts.
2. (also adjective) the last of three (people, things etc); the next after the second.
adverb in the third position. John came first in the race, and I came third.
ˈthirdly adverb in the third place. Firstly, I haven't enough money; secondly, I'm too old; and thirdly it's raining.
ˌthird-ˈclass adjective, adverb of or in the class next after or below the second.
third degree a severe method of questioning people, sometimes using torture etc. The police gave him the third degree.
third party a third person who is not directly involved in an action, contract etc. Was there a third party present when you and she agreed to the sale?
ˌthird-ˈrate adjective of very bad quality. a third-rate performance.
the Third World the developing countries, those not part of or aligned with the two main powers. the needs of the Third World.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
third
→ الثَّالِث, ثُلْث třetí, třetina tredje, tredjedel dritter τρίτο, τρίτος tercero, tercio kolmas, kolmasosa tiers, troisième treći, trećina terzo 三番目, 三番目の 3분의 1, 세 번째의 derde tredje, tredjedel trzeci, trzecia terceiro третий, треть tredje, tredjedel เศษหนึ่งส่วนสาม, ซึ่งเป็นลำดับที่สาม üçüncü một phần ba, thứ ba 三分之一, 第三Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009
third
n tercio, tercera parte; two thirds of a dose..dos tercios de una dosisEnglish-Spanish/Spanish-English Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.