third

n.

1. The ordinal number matching the number three in a series.
2. One of three equal parts.
3. Music.
   1. An interval of three degrees in a diatonic scale.
   2. 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.]

third 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.

The Interval between two notes two diatonic scale degrees apart (e.g. C-E, E♭-G); it is the interval formed when a perfect 5th is divided into two consonant intervals to make a triad. A 3rd made up of two whole tones is a major 3rd; one made up of a tone and a diatonic semitone is a minor 3rd.

---

The interval of three diatonic degrees.

IN BRIEF: The last of three things. Also: 1/3.

Children are one-third of our population and all of our future. — Select Panel for the Promotion of Child Health, 1981.

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Common misspelling(s) of third

• thrid

Dansk (Danish)
num. - tredje
n. - tredjedel

idioms:

• third age    tredje alder, pensionsalderen
• third base    tredje base
• third class    tredje klasse
• third degree    tredjegradsforhør
• third party    tredjemand, tredjepart
• third person    tredje person
• third rail    elledning
• Third World    tredje verden

Nederlands (Dutch)
derde (deel), ten derde, laagste beoordeling (Britse universiteit), derde versnelling, terts

Français (French)
n. - troisième, trois, tiers, (Mus) tierce, (Aut) troisième
adj. - troisième
adv. - troisième, en troisième position, troisièmement

idioms:

• third age    troisième âge
• third base    (Sport) troisième base (base-ball)
• third class    (Transp) en troisième classe
• third degree    interrogatoire musclé, (fig) interrogation
• third party    (Jur, Assur) tiers
• third person    troisième personne
• third rail    troisième rail
• Third World    Tiers monde

Deutsch (German)
adj. - dritt
n. - Drittel, Terz, dritter Gang, Drei
adv. - drittens

idioms:

• third age    Pensionsalter
• third base    (Baseball) drittes Laufmal
• third class    dritte Klasse, der dritten Klasse, drittklassig
• third degree    Verhör
• third party    dritte Person, Dritter
• third person    dritte Person
• third rail    Stromschiene
• Third World    Dritte Welt

Ελληνική (Greek)
num. - τρίτο(ς)
adj. - τρίτος
n. - τρίτο(ς), τρίτη ταχύτητα (κιβωτίου ταχυτήτων), (βαθμός πτυχίου κ.λπ.) καλώς
adv. - τρίτος

idioms:

• third age    η τρίτη ηλικία
• third base    (στο μπέιζμπολ) τρίτη βάση
• third class    τρίτης θέσης ή κατηγορίας
• third degree    (μτφ.) ανάκριση τρίτου βαθμού
• third party    (κάποιος) τρίτος
• third person    (γραμμ.) τρίτο πρόσωπο
• third rail    ηλεκτροφόρος σιδηροτροχιά
• Third World    ο Τρίτος Κόσμος

Italiano (Italian)
terza, terzo

idioms:

• third age    terza etý
• third base    terza base, petting spinto
• third class    terza classe
• third degree    terzo grado
• third party    terzi
• third person    terzo
• third rail    terza rotaia
• Third World    terzo mondo

Português (Portuguese)
num. - terceiro (m)
adj. - terceira (f)
n. - terço (m)
adv. - em terceiro lugar

idioms:

• third age    terceira idade
• third base    terceira base
• third class    terceira classe
• third degree    terceiro grau
• third party    terceiros
• third person    terceira pessoa
• third rail    trilho condutor
• Third World    terceiro mundo

Русский (Russian)
терция, третий/ья/ье

idioms:

• third age    преклонный возраст
• third base    (спорт. бейсбол) третья из четырех позиций в бейсбольной трассе
• third class    третий класс школы, ж.д. вагон третьего класса
• third degree    сверхсуровый допрос заключенного
• third party    третья сторона (в договоре/ соглашении)
• third person    (грам.) третье лицо
• third rail    третий рельс, употребляемый в трамвайной связи
• Third World    "Третий Мир" ("неприсоединившиеся страны")

Español (Spanish)
n. - tercera, tercero, tercio
adj. - tercera, tercero
adv. - en tercer lugar

idioms:

• third age    la tercera edad
• third base    (béisbol) tercera base
• third class    tercera clase
• third degree    interrogatorio con coacción o tortura
• third party    tercero, tercera persona, tercer partido
• third person    tercera persona
• third rail    tercer riel, carril conductor
• Third World    el tercer mundo

Svenska (Swedish)
num. - tredje
adj. - tredje-
n. - tredjedel, trea, tredjeplacering, ters (mus.)
adv. - tredje, som trea, som nummer tre

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
第三, 三分之一, 第三人

idioms:

• third age    第三时期, 老年期
• third base    第三垒, 三垒守备范围
• third class    第三类邮件, 三等车
• third degree    逼供, 拷问, 疲劳讯问
• third party    第三者, 第三方
• third person    第三人称, 第三人称形式
• third rail    输电轨, 烈酒
• Third World    第三世界

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
num. - 第三, 三分之一
n. - 第三人

idioms:

• third age    第三時期, 老年期
• third base    第三壘, 三壘守備範圍
• third class    第三類郵件, 三等車
• third degree    逼供, 拷問, 疲勞訊問
• third party    第三者, 第三方
• third person    第三人稱, 第三人稱形式
• third rail    輸電軌, 烈酒
• Third World    第三世界

한국어 (Korean)
num. - 3
n. - 제3, 3분의 1, 제3급

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 3番目, 3日, 3分の1, サードギア
adj. - 第3の, 3分の1の
adv. - 第3に

idioms:

• third age    老年期
• third base    三塁
• third class    三級, 三流, 三等
• third degree    過酷な取調べ, 拷問, 第三級
• third party    第三当事者, 第三者, 第三政党
• third person    第三人称, 第三者
• third rail    第三軌条
• third time lucky    三度目の正直
• Third World    第三世界, 少数グループ

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(عدد) الثالث (صفه) ثلثي (الاسم) الالمرتبه الثالثه (ظرف) ثالثا‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮שליש, ג', צירוף-צלילים (אקורד) תלת-צלילי רצוף, צליל המופרד מצליל אחר ע"י אקורד תלת-צלילי רצוף‬
adj. - ‮שלישי‬

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