fifth

[fifth, fith]

adjective

1. next after the fourth; being the ordinal number for five.

2. being one of five equal parts.

3. Automotive.,  of, relating to, or operating at the gear transmission ratio at which the drive shaft speed is greater than that of fourth gear for a given engine crankshaft speed.

   fifth gear.

adverb

1. in the fifth place; fifthly.

noun

1. a fifth part, especially of one (1/5).

2. the fifth member of a series.

3. a fifth part of a gallon of liquor or spirits; 4/5 (0.8) of a quart (about 750 milliliters).

4. Automotive.,  fifth gear.

5. Music.

   1. a tone on the fifth degree from another tone (counted as the first).

   2. the interval between such tones.

   3. the harmonic combination of such tones.

fifth

/ fɪfθ /

adjective

1. 1. coming after the fourth in order, position, time, etc. Often written: 5th

   2. ( as noun )

      he came on the fifth

noun

1. 1. one of five equal or nearly equal parts of an object, quantity, measurement, etc

   2. ( as modifier )

      a fifth part

2. the fraction equal to one divided by five ( 1/ 5 )

3. music

   1. the interval between one note and another five notes away from it counting inclusively along the diatonic scale

   2. one of two notes constituting such an interval in relation to the other See also perfect diminished interval

4. an additional high gear fitted to some motor vehicles

adverb

1. Also: fifthly. after the fourth person, position, event, etc

1. Also: fifthly. as the fifth point: linking what follows with the previous statements, as in a speech or argument

Word History and Origins

Origin of fifth¹

First recorded before 1000; earlier fift, Middle English fifte, Old English fīfta; -th by analogy with fourth, etc.

Word History and Origins

Origin of fifth¹

Old English fīfta

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. plead the Fifth, to decline on the basis of the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution to answer a question when testifying. Also take the Fifth

More idioms and phrases containing fifth

• take the fifth

Example Sentences

Despite finishing under .500 for the fifth consecutive season and falling just short of making the playoffs, the Sparks easily more than doubled last year’s win total.

From Los Angeles Times

Santa Monica has gone through four rounds of settlement talks with those who have filed claims, Chi said, and is set to begin on a fifth set of negotiations with 180 additional claimants.

From Los Angeles Times

Though it boasts a little fewer than 100,000 people, it’s the state’s fifth largest city.

From Los Angeles Times

His relationship with the Cowboys — or at least with Jones — soured going into the fifth and final year of Parsons’ rookie deal as negotiations for an extension stalled.

From Los Angeles Times

John Mettrick, legislation director at NCB and a fifth generation butcher, said it was "tough for all businesses on the High Street, not just butchers".

From BBC