| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000. |
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| fourth |
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| PRONUNCIATION: |  fôrth, f rth |
| NOUN: | 1. The ordinal number matching the number four in a series. 2. One of four equal parts. 3. Music a. A tone four degrees above or below a given tone in a diatonic scale. b. The interval between two such tones. c. The harmonic combination of these tones. d. The subdominant of a scale or key. 4. The transmission gear or gear ratio used to produce forward speeds next higher to those of third in a motor vehicle. 5. Fourth The Fourth of July; Independence Day. Used with the: went to a parade on the Fourth. | | ETYMOLOGY: | Middle English fourthe, from Old English f ortha. See kwetwer- in Appendix I. | | OTHER FORMS: | fourth —ADVERB & ADJECTIVE
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| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by the Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
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