plural fourths
ˈfȯr(th)s 
1
: one that is number four in a series
I was the fourth to arrive.
They arrive on the fourth. [=the fourth day of the month]
see Table of Numbers
2
: one of four equal parts of something : quarter entry 1
Cut the cake into fourths.
a fourth of the population
3
a
: a musical interval (see interval sense 2) embracing four tones of the diatonic scale
b
: a tone at this interval
specifically
: subdominant sense 1
c
: the harmonic combination of two tones a fourth apart
4
: the fourth forward gear or speed of a motor vehicle
shifted into fourth
5
the Fourth
: July 4 observed as a legal holiday in the U.S. in commemoration of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence in 1776 : Fourth of July
watched fireworks on the Fourth
called also Independence Day
fourth
adjective or adverb
the fourth edition of a book
the fourth tallest mountain
fourthly
adverb
Fourthly, don't sing a whole opera through …
—
Mark Twain
Mark Twain
Examples of fourth in a Sentence
cut the cake into fourths
She drank a fourth of the bottle.
Recent Examples on the Web
Mabini’s kick return score came on the opening play of the second half, which was part of a run of three straight Rebels (10-1) TDs that gave them a 28-7 lead early in the fourth.
—Matt Schubert, The Denver Post, 17 Nov. 2024
With Davis absent for the final 17-plus minutes, LeBron James dialed up his intensity in the latter stages of the third quarter and early in the fourth, helping the Lakers turn a five-point deficit late in the third (77-72) into a double-digit (103-89) early in the fourth.
—Khobi Price, Orange County Register, 10 Nov. 2024
The Bucs scored 10 straight points in the third before Kansas City answered with back-to-back touchdowns in the fourth.
—Rohan Nadkarni, NBC News, 5 Nov. 2024
Asians make up the largest minority in District 47: One fourth of the district’s 755,000 residents are Asian.
—Defne Karabatur, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2024
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Matt Schubert, The Denver Post, 17 Nov. 2024
With Davis absent for the final 17-plus minutes, LeBron James dialed up his intensity in the latter stages of the third quarter and early in the fourth, helping the Lakers turn a five-point deficit late in the third (77-72) into a double-digit (103-89) early in the fourth.
—Khobi Price, Orange County Register, 10 Nov. 2024
The Bucs scored 10 straight points in the third before Kansas City answered with back-to-back touchdowns in the fourth.
—Rohan Nadkarni, NBC News, 5 Nov. 2024
Asians make up the largest minority in District 47: One fourth of the district’s 755,000 residents are Asian.
—Defne Karabatur, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for fourth
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Cite this Entry
“Fourth.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fourth. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.
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