Third (?), a. [OE. thirde, AS. ridda, fr. ri, reo, three; akin to D. derde third, G. dritte, Icel. rii, Goth. ridja, L. tertius, Gr. , Skr. ttiya. See Three, and cf. Riding a jurisdiction, Tierce.]
1.
Next after the second; coming after two others; -- the ordinal of three; as, the thirdhour in the day.
"The
third night."
Chaucer.
2.
Constituting or being one of three equal parts into which anything is divided; as, the third part of a day.
Third estate. (a) In England, the commons, or the commonalty, who are represented in Parliament by the House of Commons. (b) In France, the tiers 'etat. See Tiers 'etat. Third order R. C. Ch., an order attached to a monastic order, and comprising men and women devoted to a rule of pious living, called the third rule, by a simple vow if they remain seculars, and by more solemn vows if they become regulars. See Tertiary, n., 1. -- Third person Gram., the person spoken of. See Person, n., 7. -- Third sound. Mus. See Third, n., 3.
© Webster 1913.
Third (?), n.
1.
The quotient of a unit divided by three; one of three equal parts into which anything is divided.
2.
The sixtieth part of a second of time.
3. Mus.
The third tone of the scale; the mediant.
4. pl. Law
The third part of the estate of a deseased husband, which, by some local laws, the widow is entitled to enjoy during her life.
Major third Mus., an interval of two tones. -- Minor third Mus., an interval of a tone and a half.
© Webster 1913.