<p><strong>Adjective:</strong></p><ul><li>Next after the second; being the ordinal number for three.</li><li>Being one of three equal parts.</li><li>Automotive: of, relating to, or operating at the gear transmission ratio at which the drive shaft speed is greater than that of second gear for a given engine crankshaft speed, but not as great as that of fourth gear, if such exists: third gear.</li><li>Rated, graded, or ranked one level below the second: He's third engineer on the ship.</li></ul><p><strong>Noun:</strong></p><ul><li>A third part, especially of one (1/3).</li><li>The third member of a series.</li><li>Automotive: third gear: Don't try to start a car when it's in third.</li><li>A person or thing next after second in rank, precedence, order: The writer of the best essay will receive a gold medal, the second a silver, and the third a bronze.</li><li>Usually thirds.</li><li>Law: the third part of the personal property of a deceased husband, which in certain circumstances goes absolutely to the widow; a widow's dower.</li><li>Music: a tone on the third degree from a given tone (counted as the first); the interval between such tones; the harmonic combination of such tones.</li><li>Baseball: third base.</li><li>Usually thirds.</li><li>Commerce: a product or goods below second quality.</li></ul><p><strong>Adverb:</strong></p><ul><li>In the third place; thirdly.</li></ul>