fourth

Etymology

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

adj

1. The ordinal form of the number four.
   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. 29 June 2013, 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, page 26

noun

1. (in the singular) The person or thing in the fourth position.
2. (chiefly US) A quarter, one of four equal parts of a whole.
3. (in the singular) The fourth gear of an engine.
4. (music) A musical interval which spans four degrees of the diatonic scale, for example C to F (C D E F).
   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 1984, Leonard Cohen (lyrics and music), “Hallelujah”, in Various Positions

verb

1. (informal) To agree with a proposition or statement after it has already been thirded.
   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. 2 March 1830, Hansard’s Parliamentary Debates, volume XXII, London, page 1189
   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:[…] 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
   It was then moved, seconded, thirded, fourthed, and fifthed, “that Jarman be, and is hereby hung, and ought to be kicked.” 31 December 1892, Talbot Baines Reed, “Tom, Dick, and Harry. A School Story.”, in The Boy’s Own Paper, volume XV, number 729, page 212, column 2