ENGLISH
REFERENCE

third

n.
A2 Elementary Oxford US //ˈθɝd// UK //θˈɜːd// third Archaic General-service Informal

n. the position after second in a list or race. You use it to show that something is number three in a sequence.

n. constituting number three in a sequence; the ordinal form of the number three.


SIMPLE

He finished in third place.

CONTEXTUAL

This is the third time this week that the train has been late for my morning commute.

COMPLEX

The third chapter provides a detailed analysis of the historical data, bridging the gap between the initial theory and the final results presented later in the volume.

Synonyms
Origin

PIE word *tréyes From Middle English thirde, thridde, from Old English þridda, from Proto-Germanic þridjô, from Pre-Germanic tretyós, a remodeling of Proto-Indo-European *tr̥tyós.

Usage

Typically functions as an ordinal number or a determiner before a noun.

Pitfall

the three timethe third timeLearners often use the cardinal number 'three' when the ordinal 'third' is required for sequences.

Idioms3 entries

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