third dimension

American  

noun

1. the additional dimension by which a solid object is distinguished from a planar projection of itself or from any planar object.

2. something that heightens the reality, vividness, or significance of a factual account, sequence of happenings, etc..

   The illustrations added a third dimension to the story.

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third dimension British  

noun

1. the additional dimension by which a solid object may be distinguished from a two-dimensional drawing or picture of it or from any planar object

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Etymology

Origin of third dimension

First recorded in 1855–60

Example Sentences

But, like others, the researchers found that the electrons could escape up and out of the lattice, through the third dimension.

From Science Daily • Nov. 8, 2023

But some of her recent work pushes into the third dimension, incorporating rippled clay that looks like rumpled fabric.

From Washington Post • Apr. 21, 2023

"There is this third dimension of space which offers so much more exciting information and perspective that we tend to ignore."

From Salon • Dec. 25, 2022

Culture and sport, I think it is safe to say, have been joined by a third dimension when it comes to the defining characteristics of Welsh identity.

From BBC • Oct. 17, 2022

Rebuffed, unhappy at the obtuseness of the very flat, the apple bumps the square and sends him aloft, fluttering and spinning into that mysterious third dimension.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan