# fourth
## English
### Etymology

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

### Pronunciation

* (Received Pronunciation) IPA: /fɔːθ/
* (General American) enPR: fôrth, IPA: /fɔɹθ/
* (rhotic, without the horse–hoarse merger) IPA: /fo(ː)ɹθ/
* (non-rhotic, without the horse–hoarse merger) IPA: /foəθ/
* Audio (US):(file)
* Rhymes: -ɔː(ɹ)θ
* Homophone: forth

### Adjective

fourth (not comparable)
* The ordinal form of the number four.
** 2013 June 29, Leo Montada, “Coping with Life Stress”, in Herman Steensma, Riël Vermunt, editors, Social Justice in Human Relations Volume 2: Societal and Psychological Consequences of Justice and Injustice‎, Springer Science & Business Media, →ISBN, page 26:The fourth model is called the enlightment model: Actors are seen to be responsible for problems but unable or unwilling to provide solutions. They are believed to need discipline provided by authoritative guidance. The Alcoholic Anonymous groups are considered prototypical for this model.

#### Usage notes

Abbreviations: 4th, 4th, IVth, IIIIth; (in names of monarchs and popes, and formal names in English) IV, IV.

#### Derived terms

* fardel
* farthing
* firkin
* fourth-class, fourth class
* fourth contact
* fourth cousin
* fourth cover
* fourth cranial nerve
* Fourth Cycle
* fourth-degree
* fourth dimension
* fourth down
* fourth estate
* fourth finger
* fourth freedom rights
* fourth gear
* fourth gender
* fourth grade
* fourth grader
* fourthie
* Fourth Industrial Revolution
* fourthly
* fourth market
* fourthness
* fourth normal form
* fourth official
* Fourth of July
* fourth-party logistics
* fourth person
* fourth point of contact
* fourth position
* fourth rail
* fourth-rate
* fourth rate
* Fourth Reich
* fourth slip
* fourth stump
* fourth trimester
* fourth ventricle
* fourth wall
* fourth-wave feminism
* Fourth World
* fourth year
* May the Fourth
* may the fourth be with you

#### Translations
### Noun

fourth (plural fourths)
* (in the singular) The person or thing in the fourth position.
** 1978 April 8, “Classified advertisement”, in Gay Community News, page 14:We are one F and two M's seeking the company of a fourth (M or F) for our spacious and friendly Somerville apt.
* (chiefly US) A quarter, one of four equal parts of a whole.
    Synonyms: fourth part, quarter, farthing
* (in the singular) The fourth gear of an engine.
* (music) A musical interval which spans four degrees of the diatonic scale, for example C to F (C D E F).
** 1984, Leonard Cohen (lyrics and music), “Hallelujah”, in Various Positions:Now I've heard there was a secret chord / That David played, and it pleased the Lord / But you don't really care for music, do ya? / It goes like this, the fourth, the fifth

#### Derived terms

* augmented fourth
* diminished fourth
* Fourth of July
* perfect fourth

#### Translations
### Verb

fourth (third-person singular simple present fourths, present participle fourthing, simple past and past participle fourthed)
* (informal) To agree with a proposition or statement after it has already been thirded.
** 1830 March 2, Hansard’s Parliamentary Debates, volume XXII, London, page 1189:If he remembered rightly what took place in the House on the first night of the session, the Attorney General would have to file an information, not only against the noble Lord who proposed the address, and the hon. Member for London who seconded it, but also against the hon. Member who thirded, and the noble Lord who fourthed it, and indeed against every Member in the House.
** 1854 January, “Tregonhorke’s First Trip in a Man-of-War”, in Hunt’s Yachting Magazine, volume the third, London: Hunt and Son, […]; Simpkin, Marshall, & Co., […], page 14:A lisping young “Soundings,” or master’s assistant, sung out “I thecond the mothon,” instantly transferring his beer to our hero’s face. In short the resolution was thirded, fourthed, fifthed, and sixthed, all following suit with the swipes: […]
** 1892 December 31, Talbot Baines Reed, “Tom, Dick, and Harry. A School Story.”, in The Boy’s Own Paper, volume XV, number 729, page 212, column 2:It was then moved, seconded, thirded, fourthed, and fifthed, “that Jarman be, and is hereby hung, and ought to be kicked.”

## Middle English
### Adjective

fourth
* Alternative form of ferthe