fourth

Meanings

Adjective

• The ordinal form of the number four.

Noun

• The person or thing in the fourth position.
• A quarter, one of four equal parts of a whole.
• The fourth gear of an engine.
• A musical interval which spans four degrees of the diatonic scale, for example C to F (C D E F).

Verb

• To agree with a proposition or statement after it has already been thirded.

Related

Similar words

• fourth part, quarter, ¼, farthing

Origin

• 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.
• Compare West Frisian fjirde, Saterland Frisian fjädde, fjoode, Dutch vierde, German Low German feerde, feerd, German vierte, Danish fjerde, Icelandic fjórði.