third
noun · adjective · verb
Simple meaning
The ordinal form of the cardinal number three.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
thurdIPA pronunciation (US)
ˈθɝd
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
The person or thing in the third position.
One of three equal parts of a divisible whole
“It contains approximately a third of the minimum daily requirement.”
The musical interval between one note and another three notes away from it
“A simple harmony written in major thirds.”
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)
A third-class degree, awarded to the lowest achievers in an honours degree programme
uncountable
The third of the available gears in a transmission or other gearbox.
adjective
The ordinal form of the cardinal number three; Coming after the second.
verb
To divide into three equal parts.
informal
To agree with a proposition or statement after it has already been seconded.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- A1 · Beginner
- Frequency
- Very Common
- Typical Use
- Everyday English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
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How It’s Used
The word’s distinct uses, one example each.
Threenoun
“It contains approximately a third of the minimum daily requirement.”
Musicalnoun
“A simple harmony written in major thirds.”
More ways to use third
- “It contains approximately a third of the minimum daily requirement.”noun
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Similar Words, What’s the Difference?
Close in meaning, but not always interchangeable.
An ordinal number such as first, second and third.
The third of the available gears in a transmission or other gearbox.
Any item considered to be of third order.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
The base that must be touched third by a base runner in baseball.
The person who plays third base.
Mail consisting of printed matter qualifying for reduced postal rates.
Mail consisting of printed matter qualifying for reduced postal rates.
The sixth ecumenical council in 680-681 which condemned Monothelitism by defining two wills in Christ, divine and human.
Supplies extrinsic muscles of the eye.
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.