ENGLISH
REFERENCE

fourth

n.
A1 Beginner Oxford US //ˈfɔɹθ// UK //fˈɔːθ// fourth Archaic General-service Informal

n. the position of number four in a series. You use it to describe the person or thing that comes after the third one.

n. constituting number four in a sequence; the ordinal number matching the cardinal number four.


SIMPLE

This is the fourth time I have called you today.

CONTEXTUAL

She finished in fourth place, just missing out on a bronze medal by a few seconds.

COMPLEX

The fourth movement of the symphony introduces a haunting melody that contrasts sharply with the energetic themes established in the earlier sections.

Synonyms
Origin

Inherited from Middle English fourthe, an alteration (due to four) of ferthe, from Old English fēorþa, fēowerþa, from Proto-West Germanic feurþō, from Proto-Germanic fedurþô, equivalent to four + -th (ordinal suffix). Cognates Compare West Frisian fjirde, Saterland Frisian fjädde, fjoode, Dutch vierde, German Low German feerde, feerd, German vierte, Danish fjerde, Icelandic fjórði.

Usage

As an ordinal number, it is almost always preceded by the definite article 'the' when used as a noun or adjective.

Pitfall

on the four of Julyon the fourth of JulyDates require ordinal numbers like 'fourth', not cardinal numbers like 'four'.

Idioms4 entries

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