Third Meaning
/θɜːd/Definition, CEFR level A1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
adjThe ordinal form of the cardinal number three; Coming after the second.
nounThe person or thing in the third position.
Sentence Examples
A third party makes off with the profits.
Two dogs fight for a bone, and the third runs away with it.
She finished in third place during the annual swimming competition yesterday.
CEFR Practice Quiz
He finished the race in ____ place, just behind the top two runners.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
He was very happy to finish in ____ place in the local race and receive a bronze medal for his effort today.
Word Origin & History
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.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"The second and third quarters of the shield are indecipherable on the stone but clearer in two other representations of the arms, a painted wooden funeral hatchment for Mary Davie[…]"
— 2012 October 8, Daniel W. Patterson, The True Image: Gravestone Art and the Culture of Scotch Irish Settlers in the Pennsylvania and Carolina Backcountry, UNC Press Books, →ISBN, page 141:
"“Congress took the lead on putting the HBCU funding in those bills and passing them. The third COVID-19 bill, passed under President Biden, included as much funding for HBCUs as both of the first two Covid-19 bills under President Trump,” he said."
— 2024 July 1, Chandelis Duster, “Biden and Trump touted what they’ve done for HBCUs at CNN’s debate. Here’s what their records show”, in CNN:
"Around a third of both Black and White respondents said they believed the opposition Labour Party to be institutionally racist."
— 2020 June 22, Rob Picheta, “Most Black British people think the Conservative Party is institutionally racist, CNN poll finds”, in CNN:
"Despite these uncertainties, Clarke told MPs he was convinced of the need to order trains powered by batteries. He said: "We're calling for a 'no regrets' order of battery trains because we see them always having a future. We see them being fundable, financeable, similar cost to diesel trains, and we know that however much electrification we would aspire to do, there's always going to be at least a third of the network that isn't electrified."
— 2023 December 27, Philip Haigh, “All eyes are on the DfT as rolling stock concerns deepen”, in RAIL, number 999, page 19:
"[…] thirds (sixtieths of seconds), fourths (sixtieths of thirds) and so on, but then it becomes very cumbersome."
— 1994, John David North, The Fontana History of Astronomy and Cosmology, page xxi:
Explore More A1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
He finished the race in ____ place, just behind the top two runners.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
He was very happy to finish in ____ place in the local race and receive a bronze medal for his effort today.