fourth

A1 Topic:Numbers & Quantity

US /fɔɹθ/ UK /fɔːθ/ See IPA manual

Homophones

forth /fɔɹθ/

Minimal pairs

Sounds like fort /θ/ vs /t/

Freq #2375

Meanings

1

adj
Coming next after the third in order or position.

This is the fourth time I have called today.
2

noun
The person or thing in the fourth position.

She finished fourth in the race.
3

adv
In the fourth place, when listing points.

Fourthly, you must pay the rent at the start of each month.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · coming next after the third... quaternary

3 adv · in the fourth place, when... fourthly

Word family

Forms fourths

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

fourth dimension
the additional coordinate, commonly time, needed with three spatial coordinates to describe an event

Adjective + noun

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

fourthe Middle English fēorþa Old English *feurþō Proto-West Germanic *fedurþô Proto-Germanic

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Numbers & Quantity

External links

# fourth

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A1
**Part of speech:** adj, noun, adv
**IPA (US):** /fɔɹθ/
**IPA (UK):** /fɔːθ/
**Frequency rank:** 2375

## Meanings
1. Coming next after the third in order or position.
2. The person or thing in the fourth position.
3. In the fourth place, when listing points.

## Examples
- This is the fourth time I have called today.
- She finished fourth in the race.
- Fourthly, you must pay the rent at the start of each month.

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: fourthe
- Root: fēorþa
- Root: *feurþō
- Root: *fedurþô

## 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 (ordinal suffix). Cognates Compare West Frisian fjirde, Saterland Frisian fjädde, fjoode, Dutch vierde, German Low German feerde, feerd, German vierte, Danish fjerde, Icelandic fjórði.

## AI Etymology
Fourth is 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 (ordinal suffix). Cognate material includes Compare West Frisian fjirde, Saterland Frisian fjädde, fjoode, Dutch vierde, German Low German feerde, feerd, German vierte, Danish fjerde, Icelandic fjórði. The historical chain includes fourthe (Middle English), fēorþa (Old English), *feurþō (Proto-West Germanic), and *fedurþô (Proto-Germanic). In present use it covers coming next after the third in order or position, the person or thing in the fourth position, and in the fourth place, when listing points.

## Topics
- Numbers & Quantity

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