Fourth

a. and sb. Forms: 1 féorða, féowerða, Northumb. féarða, (2 forðe), 2–3 feorðe, (3 feorthe, foerth, south. veorðe), 3–4 ferþe, south. verþ(e, fierþ(e, (4 firþe, 5 firthe), 3–5 fe(e)rthe, 3–6 ferth, (3–4 feirth, ferith, feurth, furth, firth), 4–5 furthe, (furþe, forthe, fourþe, -the), 3–6 ferd(e, (3–4 feird, south. veorde, 4 feyrd, fyrde, furde, 6 Sc. faird), 4–6 ford(e, 4–7 fourt(e, (4 fowrte, forte), 5–6 fowerth, (5 faw-, fowrith, fowrth(e), 3– fourth. [OE. féorða, corresp. to OS. fiorðo (Du. vierde), OHG. fiordo (MHG. vierde, mod.G. vierte), ON. fiórðe (Sw., Da. fjerde):—OTeut. *fi(ð)(w)orþo-n- repr. Com. Aryan *qeturto- or *qetwrto-, whence Skr. caturtha, OSl. cetvrĭtŭ, Gr. τέταρτος, L. quartus.] The ordinal numeral belonging to the cardinal four.

  A.  adj.

  1.  In concord with the sb. expressed.

  Fourth estate: see ESTATE sb. 7 b.

c. 950.  Lindisfarne Gospels, Matt. xiv. 25. Ðiu feorða waccen næhtes.

c. 1175.  Lamb. Hom., 13. Honora patrem tuum et matrem tuam þet wes þe feowerðe heste þet godalmihti het.

c. 1250.  Gen. & Ex., 157.

c. 1330.  R. Brunne, Chron. (1810), 82.

c. 1400.  Destr. Troy, v. 2007. The furthe day fell all þe fuerse wyndes.

1486.  Bk. St. Albans, E j b. The fowrith yere a Stagge call hym by any way.

1588.  A. King, trans. Canisius’ Catech., 109. Euerie fourt ferie (callid wenesday).

1637–50.  Row, The History of the Kirk of Scotland (1842), 127. The ferd Acte condemned the Presbiterie as ane judgement not allowed by the King’s law.

1674.  Playford, Skill Mus., II. 112. For the Tuning of your Violin … the Bass or fourth string is called G sol re vt.

  2.  With ellipsis of the sb.

c. 1175.  Lamb. Hom., 39. Þat forðe is þet þu scalt wakien for þines drihtenes luue.

a. 1300.  Ten Commandm., 33, in E. E. P. (1862), 16. Þe verþ, loue þi neiȝbore as þine owe bodi: non oþer þou him wil.

1377.  Langl., P. Pl., B. XIV. 294.

1435.  Nottingham Rec., II. 360. And ilk of thre payis, iiijs. viijd., and ye forte, iijs.

1562.  Bulleyn, Bk. Simples, 52 b. It is hotte and drie, in the thirde degree, and in the beginnyng of the fowerth.

1669.  Sturmy, Mariner’s Mag., I. 33. Three Right Lines being given, To find a fourth in proportion to them.

  b.  esp. with ellipsis of ‘day.’ The fourth (of July) U.S., the anniversary of the Declaration of Independence; also attrib. Also quasi-sb. in pl.

1827.  Longf., in Life (1891), I. viii. 121. We did not celebrate the ‘glorious Fourth’ here.

1888.  Lowell, Pr. Wks. (1890), VI. 202. This is what may be called the Fourth of July period of our history.

1891.  C. James, Rom. Rigmarole, 74. As I write I picture, here in my lonely study, bright Fourths of June.

1894.  Westm. Gaz., 2 Jan., 6/1. The amounts passing through on the 4ths of the months for 1893.

  3.  Fourth part, † deal: one of four equal parts into which a thing may be divided. See also FARTHINGDEAL.

c. 1000.  Ags. Gosp., Luke iii. 1. Feorþan dæles rica.

c. 1350.  [see DEAL sb.¹ 1 b].

1375.  Barbour, Bruce, IX. 591.

a. 1400[?].  Morte Arth., 946. The fourtedele a furlange be-twene Þus he walkes.

1480.  Caxton, Chron. Eng., ccxxiii. 221. Yet saw I neuer the ferth part of the wynge fyght.

1585.  T. Washington, trans. Nicholay’s Voy. Turkie, II. v. 35. Two buts of wine of Chio, two fourth parts of muscadell.

1893.  Stevenson in Daily News, 11 April, 6/3. Of the remaining three-fourth parts of my said father’s estate, one-fourth part of the three-fourth parts I give and bequeath [etc.].

  B.  sb.

  1.  The fraction indicated by a unit in the fourth place in the sexagesimal, decimal, or any other system of fractional notation having a constant modulus. Hence, in Scotland, a weight of account, = ¹/₃₃₈₇₆₆ (i.e., 1 ÷ 24⁴) of a grain Scots.

1594.  Blundevil, Exerc., I. xxvii. (ed. 7), 65. They diuided euery whole thing that had no vsuall parts into 60. minutes, and euery minute into 60. seconds, and euery second into 60. thirds, and so forth vnto 60. fourthes, fifts, sixts, seuenths, eights, ninthes and tenths, and further if neede were but that seldome chanceth.

1604.  Proclam. James I., in Ruding, Coinage Gt. Brit. (1840), I. 363, table. Pieces of Gold of … v s. 1 Denier 23 Grains 7 Primes, 18 Seconds, 8 Thirds, 10³/₄ Fourths.

1608.  R. Norton, trans. Stevin’s Disme, C ij. 3⁽¹⁾ 7⁽²⁾ 5⁽³⁾ 9⁽⁴⁾ that is to say, 3 Primes, 7 Seconds, 5 Thirds, 9 Fourths, and so proceeding infinity.

1674.  Jeake, A Compleat Body of Arithmetick (1696), 209. As to set down 3 Fourths, and 4 Fifths, thus 0,00034.

  2.  = Fourth part.

1741.  trans. D’Argens Chinese Lett., xxxi. 229. One of my principal Amusements, since I came to Paris, has been to observe all the idle Fables and gross Lyes, with which Three-fourths of the European Authors stuff their Works.

1892.  E. K. Blyth, in Law Times, XCIII. 8 Oct., 489/1. The cases requiring pleadings are not more at the outside than a fourth of the contested cases.

  3.  Mus. A tone four diatonic degrees above or below any given tone; the interval between any tone and a tone four degrees distant from it; the harmonic combination of two such tones.

1597.  Morley, Introd. Mus., 71 Phi. Which distances make discord or dissonant sounds? Ma. All such as doe not make concords: as a second, a fourth, [etc.].

1674.  Playford, Skill Mus., I. v. 20. This Rule serves for the rising of Fourths or Fifths, &c.

1788.  Cavallo, in Phil. Trans., LXXVIII. 238. When those sounds are considered with respect to the first, they are called by the following names, viz. the prime or key-note … 4th, 4th major, [etc.].

1869.  Ouseley, Counterp., ii. 6. The discords admitted are the second, the seventh, the ninth, and lastly the fourth, which in strict counterpoint is always treated as a discord.

1879.  Grove, Dict. Mus., I., s.v. Fourth is an interval comprising two whole tones and a semitone. It is called a fourth because four notes are passed through in going from one extreme of the interval to the other.

  4.  pl. Articles of the fourth degree in quality.

1832.  G. R. Porter, Porcelain & Gl., 186. Crown glass is sold, according to its quality, under four different denominations—firsts, seconds, thirds, and fourths—at considerable difference of price.

1890.  Daily News, 7 Jan., 2/7. Butter … classified as follows:—Firsts, 0; seconds, 9; thirds, 36; fourths, 9.

  † 5.  By fourths: by fours. Obs.

c. 1430.  Art of Nombrynge (E.E.T.S., 1922), 49. First thow most compt the figures by fourthes, that is to sey in the place of thousandes.

  C.  Comb.: fourth-born a., that is born fourth; Fourth-day, the name given by members of the Society of Friends to Wednesday; fourth-hand a., that has passed through the hands of four persons; fourth wheel (see quot.).

1559.  Mirr. Mag., Dk. Clarence, viii.

1592.  Warner, Alb. Eng., VIII. xi. 196.

1697.  S. Sewall, Diary, 14 Sept. (1878) I. 459. Fourth-day was a storm, else might have husbanded it so as to have come to Rehoboth that night: But are glad of the Rain after so sore a Drought.

1820.  J. H. Wiffen, in A. A. Watts, Life A. Watts (1884), I. 102. She could not consent to forfeit her membership, and must necessarily lay the matter before the monthly meeting next fourth day.

1599.  Marston, Sco. Villanie, I. ii. 175.

1884.  F. J. Britten, The Watch and Clockmakers’ Handbook, *Fourth Wheel.… The wheel in a watch that drives the escape pinion, and to the arbor of which the seconds hand is attached.

  b.  Prefixed to certain sbs., as class, form, rate, etc., forming a comb. which is used attrib. and passes occas. into an adj., and through the absolute use into a sb. Fourth-class matter (U.S. Postal System), matter containing merchandise.

1689.  Lond. Gaz., No. 2453/2. Their Majesties Ship the Nonsuch, a small fourth Rate of 36 Guns. Ibid (1694), No. 3021/3. This day were Launched … two new fourth Rate Ships.

1857.  Hughes, Tom Brown, I. vi. The fourth form are uncertain in their belief. Ibid. The fourth-form boy who reads their names rudely cut out on the old hall tables.

1889.  Advance (Chicago), 7 March, 190. More sham than school, taught by fourth-rate teachers, because they are cheap.

  Hence Fourthly adv., in the fourth place, † for the fourth time.

1526.  Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W., 1531), 8 b. Fourthly they must trust onely in the grace & mercy of god.

1613.  Sylvester, (title), Du Bartas his Deuine Weekes and Workes … Now fourthly corr: and augm.

1773.  Ann. Reg., XVI. 245/1. Fourthly, Because we think that having rejected the antient, reasonable, and parliamentary mode of proceeding, the maxim established in its place is dangerous and irrational.