1.  Next after the second; coming after two others; -- the ordinal of three; as, the third hour in the day. Chaucer. [1913 Webster]

2.  Constituting or being one of three equal parts into which anything is divided; as, the third part of a day. [1913 Webster]

1.  The quotient of a unit divided by three; one of three equal parts into which anything is divided. [1913 Webster]

2.  The sixtieth part of a second of time. [1913 Webster]

3.  The third tone of the scale; the mediant. [1913 Webster]

4.  The third part of the estate of a deceased husband, which, by some local laws, the widow is entitled to enjoy during her life. [1913 Webster]

third, n. & adj.
--n.
1 the position in a sequence corresponding to that of the number 3 in the sequence 1-3.
2 something occupying this position.
3 each of three equal parts of a thing.
4 = third gear.
5 Mus. a an interval or chord spanning three consecutive notes in the diatonic scale (e.g. C to E). b a note separated from another by this interval.
6 a a place in the third class in an examination. b a person having this.
--adj. that is the third.

Idiom:
third-best adj. of third quality.
--n. a thing in this category. third class the third-best group or category, esp. of hotel and train accommodation. third-class adj.
1 belonging to or travelling by the third class.
2 of lower quality; inferior.
--adv. by the third class (travels third-class). third degree long and severe questioning esp. by police to obtain information or a confession. third-degree Med. denoting burns of the most severe kind, affecting lower layers of tissue. third eye
1 Hinduism & Buddhism the 'eye of insight' in the forehead of an image of a deity, esp. the god Siva.
2 the faculty of intuitive insight. third force a political group or party acting as a check on conflict between two opposing parties. third gear the third (and often next to highest) in a sequence of gears.
third man
1 a fielder positioned near the boundary behind the slips.
2 this position. third part each of three equal parts into which a thing is or might be divided.
third party
1 another party besides the two principals.
2 a bystander etc. third-party adj. (of insurance) covering damage or injury suffered by a person other than the insured.
third person
1 = third party.
2 Gram. see PERSON. third-rate inferior; very poor in quality. third reading a third presentation of a bill to a legislative assembly, in the UK to debate committee reports and in the US to consider it for the last time. Third Reich see REICH. Third World (usu. prec. by the) the developing countries of Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

Derivative:
thirdly adv.

Etymology:
OE third(d)a, thridda f. Gmc

N  triplication, triplicity, trebleness, trine, treble, triple, tern, ternary, triplicate, threefold, trilogistic, third, trinal, trine, three times, three fold, thrice, in the third place, thirdly, trebly.

N  trisection, tripartition, trichotomy, third, third part, trifid, trisected, tripartite, trichotomous, trisulcate, Triadelphous, triangular, tricuspid, tricapsular, tridental, tridentate, tridentiferous, trifoliate, trifurcate, trigonal, trigrammic, trigrammatic, tripetalous, tripodal, tripodic, triquetral, triquetrous.

N  concord, accord, harmony, symphony, homologue, agreement, sympathy, empathy, response, union, unison, unity, bonds of harmony, peace, unanimity, league, happy family, rapprochement, reunion, amity, alliance, entente cordiale, good understanding, conciliation, peacemaker, intercessor, mediator, concordant, congenial, agreeing, in accord, harmonious, united, cemented, banded together, allied, friendly, fraternal, conciliatory, at one with, of one mind, at peace, in still water, tranquil, with one voice, in concert with, hand in hand, on one's side, commune periculum concordiam parit, melody concord, melody, rhythm, measure, rhyme, pitch, timbre, intonation, tone, scale, gamut, diapason, diatonic chromatic scale, enharmonic scale, key, clef, chords, modulation, temperament, syncope, syncopation, preparation, suspension, resolution, staff, stave, line, space, brace, bar, rest, appoggiato, appoggiatura, acciaccatura, note, musical note, notes of a scale, sharp, flat, natural, high note, low note, interval, semitone, second, third, fourth, diatessaron, breve, semibreve, minim, crotchet, quaver, semiquaver, demisemiquaver, hemidemisemiquaver, sustained note, drone, burden, tonic, key note, leading note, fundamental note, supertonic, mediant, dominant, submediant, subdominant, octave, tetrachord, major key, minor key, major scale, minor scale, major mode, minor mode, passage, phrase, concord, harmony, emmeleia, unison, unisonance, chime, homophony, euphony, euphonism, tonality, consonance, consent, part, harmony, harmonics, thorough-bass, fundamental-bass, counterpoint, faburden, piece of music, composer, harmonist, contrapuntist (musician), harmonious, harmonical, in concord, in tune, in concert, unisonant, concentual, symphonizing, isotonic, homophonous, assonant, ariose, consonant, measured, rhythmical, diatonic, chromatic, enharmonic, melodious, musical, melic, tuneful, tunable, sweet, dulcet, canorous, mellow, mellifluous, soft, clear, clear as a bell, silvery, euphonious, euphonic, euphonical, symphonious, enchanting fine-toned, full-toned, silver-toned, harmoniously, in harmony, as one, the hidden soul of harmony.

kepler's third law, newton's third law, newton's third law of motion, third baron rayleigh, third base, third baseman, third battle of ypres, third class, third council of constantinople, third cranial nerve, third crusade, third deck, third degree, third dimension, third epistel of john, third estate, third eye, third eyelid, third gear, third house, third lateran council, third law of motion, third law of thermodynamics, third party, third period, third person, third power, third rail, third rate, third reich, third sacker, third stomach, third string, third tonsil, third trimester, third ventricle, third world

1.  law(n = noun.group) jurisprudence - the collection of rules imposed by authority; "civilization presupposes respect for the law"; "the great problem for jurisprudence to allow freedom while enforcing order"
is a kind of accumulation, aggregation, assemblage, collection
has parts: law
has particulars: administrative law, canon law, ecclesiastical law, civil law, case law, common law, precedent, international law, law of nations, law of the land, martial law, commercial law, law merchant, mercantile law, military law, law of moses, mosaic law, islamic law, sharia, sharia law, shariah, shariah law, statutory law, securities law, tax law

2.  law(n = noun.communication) - legal document setting forth rules governing a particular kind of activity; "there is a law against kidnapping"
is a kind of instrument, legal document, legal instrument, official document
is a part of jurisprudence, law
has particulars: anti-drug law, anti-racketeering law, racketeer influenced and corrupt organizations act, rico, rico act, antitrust law, antitrust legislation, statute of limitations, constitution, fundamental law, organic law, public law, blue law, blue sky law, gag law, homestead law, poor law, riot act, prohibition

3.  law(n = noun.cognition) natural law - a rule or body of rules of conduct inherent in human nature and essential to or binding upon human society;
is a kind of concept, conception, construct
has particulars: divine law, principle, sound law

4.  law(n = noun.cognition) law of nature - a generalization that describes recurring facts or events in nature; "the laws of thermodynamics"
is a kind of concept, conception, construct
is a part of theory
has particulars: all-or-none law, principle, rule, archimedes' principle, law of archimedes, avogadro's hypothesis, avogadro's law, bernoulli's law, law of large numbers, benford's law, bose-einstein statistics, boyle's law, mariotte's law, coulomb's law, dalton's law, dalton's law of partial pressures, law of partial pressures, distribution law, equilibrium law, law of chemical equilibrium, fechner's law, weber-fechner law, fermi-dirac statistics, charles's law, gay-lussac's law, law of volumes, henry's law, hooke's law, hubble's law, hubble law, kepler's law, kepler's law of planetary motion, kirchhoff's laws, law of averages, law of constant proportion, law of definite proportions, law of diminishing returns, law of effect, law of equivalent proportions, law of reciprocal proportions, law of gravitation, newton's law of gravitation, dalton's law, law of multiple proportions, law of mass action, law of thermodynamics, mendel's law, law of motion, newton's law, newton's law of motion, ohm's law, pascal's law, pascal's law of fluid pressures, exclusion principle, pauli exclusion principle, mendeleev's law, periodic law, planck's law, planck's radiation law, principle of relativity, power law, stevens' law, stevens' power law, weber's law

5.  law(n = noun.cognition) jurisprudence, legal philosophy - the branch of philosophy concerned with the law and the principles that lead courts to make the decisions they do;
is a kind of philosophy
has particulars: contract law, corporation law, matrimonial law, patent law

6.  law(n = noun.act) practice of law - the learned profession that is mastered by graduate study in a law school and that is responsible for the judicial system; "he studied law at Yale"
is a kind of learned profession
Derived form noun lawyer₁

7.  law(n = noun.group) constabulary, police, police force - the force of policemen and officers; "the law came looking for him"
is a kind of force, personnel, law enforcement agency
has particulars: european law enforcement organisation, europol, gendarmerie, gendarmery, mutawa, mutawa'een, mounties, rcmp, royal canadian mounted police, new scotland yard, scotland yard, secret police, schutzstaffel, ss, posse, posse comitatus

1.  In general, a rule of being or of conduct, established by an authority able to enforce its will; a controlling regulation; the mode or order according to which an agent or a power acts. [1913 Webster]
" A law may be universal or particular, written or unwritten, published or secret. From the nature of the highest laws a degree of permanency or stability is always implied; but the power which makes a law, or a superior power, may annul or change it." [1913 Webster]
"These are the statutes and judgments and laws, which the Lord made." [1913 Webster]
"The law of thy God, and the law of the King." [1913 Webster]
"As if they would confine the Interminable . . .
Who made our laws to bind us, not himself." [1913 Webster]
"His mind his kingdom, and his will his law." [1913 Webster]

2.  In morals: The will of God as the rule for the disposition and conduct of all responsible beings toward him and toward each other; a rule of living, conformable to righteousness; the rule of action as obligatory on the conscience or moral nature. [1913 Webster]

3.  The Jewish or Mosaic code, and that part of Scripture where it is written, in distinction from the gospel; hence, also, the Old Testament. [1913 Webster]
"What things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law . . . But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets." [1913 Webster]

4.  An organic rule, as a constitution or charter, establishing and defining the conditions of the existence of a state or other organized community. [1913 Webster]

5.  In philosophy and physics: A rule of being, operation, or change, so certain and constant that it is conceived of as imposed by the will of God or by some controlling authority; as, the law of gravitation; the laws of motion; the law heredity; the laws of thought; the laws of cause and effect; law of self-preservation. [1913 Webster]

6.  In mathematics: The rule according to which anything, as the change of value of a variable, or the value of the terms of a series, proceeds; mode or order of sequence. [1913 Webster]

7.  In arts, works, games, etc.: The rules of construction, or of procedure, conforming to the conditions of success; a principle, maxim; or usage; as, the laws of poetry, of architecture, of courtesy, or of whist. [1913 Webster]

8.  Collectively, the whole body of rules relating to one subject, or emanating from one source; -- including usually the writings pertaining to them, and judicial proceedings under them; as, divine law; English law; Roman law; the law of real property; insurance law. [1913 Webster]

9.  Legal science; jurisprudence; the principles of equity; applied justice. [1913 Webster]
"Reason is the life of the law; nay, the common law itself is nothing else but reason." [1913 Webster]
"Law is beneficence acting by rule." [1913 Webster]
"And sovereign Law, that state's collected will
O'er thrones and globes elate,
Sits empress, crowning good, repressing ill." [1913 Webster]

10.  Trial by the laws of the land; judicial remedy; litigation; as, to go law. [1913 Webster]
"When every case in law is right." [1913 Webster]
"He found law dear and left it cheap." [1913 Webster]

11.  An oath, as in the presence of a court. [1913 Webster]

   Same as Lawe, v. t. [1913 Webster]

   An exclamation of mild surprise. [1913 Webster]

law, n.
1 a a rule enacted or customary in a community and recognized as enjoining or prohibiting certain actions and enforced by the imposition of penalties. b a body of such rules (the law of the land; forbidden under Scots law).
2 the controlling influence of laws; a state of respect for laws (law and order).
3 laws collectively as a social system or subject of study (was reading law).
4 (with defining word) any of the specific branches or applications of law (commercial law; law of contract).
5 binding force or effect (their word is law).
6 (prec. by the) a the legal profession. b colloq. the police.
7 the statute and common law (opp. EQUITY).
8 (in pl.) jurisprudence.
9 a the judicial remedy; litigation. b the lawcourts as providing this (go to law).
10 a rule of action or procedure, e.g. in a game, social context, form of art, etc.
11 a regularity in natural occurrences, esp. as formulated or propounded in particular instances (the laws of nature; the law of gravity; Parkinson's law).
12 a divine commandments as expressed in the Bible or other sources. b (Law of Moses) the precepts of the Pentateuch.

Idiom:
at (or in) law according to the laws. be a law unto oneself do what one feels is right; disregard custom. go to law take legal action; make use of the lawcourts. law-abiding obedient to the laws. law-abidingness obedience to the laws. law agent (in Scotland) a solicitor. law centre Brit. an independent publicly-funded advisory service on legal matters. Law Lord a member of the House of Lords qualified to perform its legal work. law of diminishing returns see DIMINISH. law of nature = natural law. laws of war the limitations on belligerents' action recognized by civilized nations. law term a period appointed for the sitting of lawcourts. lay down the law be dogmatic or authoritarian. take the law into one's own hands redress a grievance by one's own means, esp. by force.

Etymology:
OE lagu f. ON lag something 'laid down' or fixed, rel. to LAY(1)

N  precept, direction, instruction, charge, prescript, prescription, recipe, receipt, golden rule, maxim, rule, canon, law, code, corpus juris, lex scripta, act, statute, rubric, stage direction, regulation, form, formula, formulary, technicality, canon law, norm, order.

N  conformity, conformance, observance, habituation, naturalization, conventionality, agreement, example, instance, specimen, sample, quotation, exemplification, illustration, case in point, object lesson, elucidation, standard, model, pattern, rule, nature, principle, law, order of things, normal state, natural state, ordinary state, model state, normal condition, natural condition, ordinary condition, model condition, standing dish, standing order, Procrustean law, law of the Medes and Persians, hard and fast rule, conformable to rule, regular, according to regulation, according to rule, according to Hoyle, according to Cocker, according to Gunter, en regle, selon les regles, well regulated, orderly, symmetric, conventional, of daily occurrence, of everyday occurrence, in the natural order of things, ordinary, common, habitual, usual, everyday, workaday, in the order of the day, naturalized, typical, normal, nominal, formal, canonical, orthodox, sound, strict, rigid, positive, uncompromising, Procrustean, secundum artem, shipshape, technical, exempIe, illustrative, in point, conformably, by rule, agreeably to, in conformity with, in accordance with, in keeping with, according to, consistently with, as usual, ad instar, instar omnium, more solito, more-majorum, for the sake of conformity, as a matter of course, of course, pro forma, for form's sake, by the card, invariably, for example, exempli gratia, e, g, inter alia, among other things, for instance, cela va sans dire, ex pede Herculem, noscitur a sociis, ne e quovis ligno Mercurius fiat, they are happy men whose natures sort with their v, The nail that sticks up hammered down, Tall poppy syndrome, Stick your neck out and it may get cut off.

N  permission, leave, allowance, sufferance, tolerance, toleration, liberty, law, license, concession, grace, indulgence, favor, dispensation, exemption, release, connivance, vouchsafement, authorization, warranty, accordance, admission, permit, warrant, brevet, precept, sanction, authority, firman, hukm, pass, passport, furlough, license, carte blanche, ticket of leave, grant, charter, patent, letters patent, permitting, permissive, indulgent, permitted, patent, chartered, permissible, allowable, lawful, legitimate, legal, legalized, licit, unforbid, unforbidden, unconditional, by leave, with leave, on leave, speciali gratia, under favor of, pace, ad libitum, by all means, yes, avec permissin, brevet d'invention.

N  legality, legitimacy, legitimateness, legislature, law, code, corpus juris, constitution, pandect, charter, enactment, statute, rule, canon, ordinance, institution, regulation, bylaw, byelaw, decree, ordonnance, standing order, plebiscite, legal process, form, formula, formality, rite, arm of the law, habeas corpus, fieri facias, jurisprudence, nomology, legislation, codification, equity, common law, lex, lex nonscripta, law of nations, droit des gens, international law, jus gentium, jus civile, civil law, canon law, crown law, criminal law, statute law, ecclesiastical law, administrative law, lex mercatoria, constitutionalism, constitutionality, justice, court, tribunal, judge, lawyer, attorney, legal counsel, legal, legitimate, according to law, vested, constitutional, chartered, legalized, lawful, statutable, statutory, legislatorial, legislative, regulatory, regulated, legally, in the eye of the law, de jure, ignorantia legis neminem excusat, ignorance of the law is no excuse, where law ends tyranny begins.

N  right, what ought to be, what should be, fitness, summum jus, justice, equity, equitableness, propriety, fair play, impartiality, measure for measure, give and take, lex talionis, Astraea, Nemesis, Themis, scales of justice, evenhanded justice, karma, suum cuique, clear stage, fair field and no favor, level playing field, morals, law, honor, virtue, right, good, just, reasonable, fit, equal, equable, equatable, evenhanded, fair, legitimate, justifiable, rightful, as it should be, as it ought to be, lawful deserved, rightly, +a bon droit, au bon droit, in justice, in equity, in reason, without distinction of persons, without regard to persons, without respect to persons, upon even terms, Int, all right!, fair's fair, Dieu et mon droit, in equal scale weighing delight and dole, justitia cuum cuique distribuit, justitiae soror incorrupta fides, justitia virtutem regina, thrice is he armed that hath his quarrel just.

action at law, administrative law, admiralty law, against the law, all-or-none law, anti-drug law, anti-racketeering law, antitrust law, avogadro's law, benford's law, bernard law montgomery, bernoulli's law, blue law, blue sky law, boltzmann distribution law, boyle's law, break the law, bye law, canon law, case law, charles's law, civil law, color of law, colour of law, commercial law, common law, conclusion of law, contract law, corporation law, coulomb's law, criminal law, dalton's law, dalton's law of partial pressures, distribution law, divine law, due process of law, ecclesiastical law, equality before the law, equilibrium law, european law enforcement organisation, fechner's law, federal job safety law, federal law enforcement training center, finding of law, first law of motion, first law of thermodynamics, fraud in law, frederick law olmsted, fundamental law, gag law, game law, gay-lussac's law, gestalt law of organization, gresham's law, grimm's law, harmonic law, henry's law, higher law, homestead law, hooke's law, hubble law, hubble's law, international law, international law enforcement agency, islamic law, joule's law, kepler's first law, kepler's law, kepler's law of planetary motion, kepler's second law, kepler's third law, law abiding, law agent, law degree, law enforcement, law enforcement agency, law firm, law merchant, law of action and reaction, law of archimedes, law of areas, law of averages, law of chemical equilibrium, law of closure, law of common fate, law of conservation of energy, law of conservation of mass, law of conservation of matter, law of constant proportion, law of continuation, law of definite proportions, law of diminishing returns, law of effect, law of equal areas, law of equivalent proportions, law of gravitation, law of independent assortment, law of large numbers, law of mass action, law of moses, law of motion, law of multiple proportions, law of nations, law of nature, law of parsimony, law of partial pressures, law of proximity, law of reciprocal proportions, law of segregation, law of similarity, law of the land, law of thermodynamics, law of volumes, law offender, law officer, law practice, law school, law student, lay down the law, le chatelier's law, lynch law, marconi's law, marine law, mariotte's law, maritime law, martial law, matrimonial law, matter of law, maxwell-boltzmann distribution law, mendel's law, mendeleev's law, mercantile law, military law, mosaic law, murphy's law, natural law, newton's first law, newton's first law of motion, newton's law, newton's law of gravitation, newton's law of motion, newton's second law, newton's second law of motion, newton's third law, newton's third law of motion, ohm's law, organic law, parkinson's law, parliamentary law, pascal's law, pascal's law of fluid pressures, patent law, periodic law, planck's law, planck's radiation law, poor law, power law, practice of law, public law, question of law, rejoicing in the law, rejoicing of the law, rejoicing over the law, roman law, rule of law, salic law, school of law, second law of motion, second law of thermodynamics, securities law, sharia law, shariah law, sir bernard law montgomery, sod's law, sound law, statute law, statutory law, stevens' law, stevens' power law, tax law, third law of motion, third law of thermodynamics, unwritten law, valued-policy law, van't hoff's law, verner's law, weber's law, weber-fechner law, zeroth law of thermodynamics