Third-rate

a. and sb. [See RATE sb.¹ 9, 9 b.]

  A.  adj.

  † 1.  of the third ‘rate’ (esp. of ships). Obs.

1649.  Cromwell, Lett., 14 Nov., in Carlyle. The Garland, one of your third-rate ships, coming happily into Waterford Bay.

1666.  Pepys, Diary, 9 March. Mr. Castle’s new third-rate ship, which is to be called the Defyance.

1693.  Lond. Gaz., No. 2857/3. This day was Launched a New Third Rate Ship of 20 Guns, called the Norfolk.

  2.  Of the third class in point of quality; usually depreciative, below ‘second-rale’; of decidedly poor or inferior quality.

1780.  Dodsley, Old Plays, IX. 111. Langbaine ranks him [Thomas Nabbes] as a third-rate poet, and observes, that he is intitled to one degree of merit, at least, that of not availing himself of any preceding writer, in the plots of his plays.

1838.  Thirlwall, Greece, V. xliv. 327. An actor of third-rate parts.

1845.  U.S. Dem. Rev., XVII. July, 65/1. A third rate politician, who amuses him by cunning flatteries, he [the small critic] estimates much higher.

1850.  Grote, Greece, II. lxi. VII. 491. A town of second-rate or third-rate magnitude.

1855.  Macaulay.  Hist. Eng., xix. IV. 354. The poor thoughts and poor words of a thirdrate pamphleteer.

  B.  sb. Naut. A war-vessel of the third rate.

1666.  Pepys, Diary, 4 July. Ten great ships … none to be under third-rates.

1695.  Lond. Gaz., No. 3061/1. A Third Rate of 62 Guns.

1790.  Beatson, Nav. & Mil. Mem., I. 65. The fleet…, consisting of but one third rate, five fourth rates, and one sixth rate.

  Hence Third-rateling, Third-rater, a third-rate person or thing.

1816.  Southey, Ess., I. 245. The second and third-ratelings compose works of perishable stuff.

1820.  Blackw. Mag., VIII. 89. Where is there a Whiz in England … that, as a literary man, is fairly out of the class of third raters?

1909.  J. London, Martin Eden, xxvi. 221. Pay on acceptance and two cents a word—the newspapers had told the truth. And he had thought the White Mouse a third-rater!