third man

American  

noun

1. Cricket.

   1. the position of a fielder on the off side between slip and point.

   2. the fielder occupying this position.

2. Lacrosse.

   1. the position of a player, first in the line of defense between center and goal.

   2. the player occupying this position.

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third man British  

noun

1. cricket

   1. a fielding position on the off side near the boundary behind the batsman's wicket

   2. a fielder in this position

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Etymology

Origin of third man

First recorded in 1870–75

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

third man

The body of a third man, aged in his mid-50s, was found on the sand nearby and is yet to be formally identified.

From BBC ● May 4, 2026

A third man seems to have never been tracked down and interviewed by investigators in Ghana.

From BBC ● Apr. 11, 2026

In fact, a third man also signed the three-page contract that launched the company on April 1, 1976: Ronald Wayne.

From Barron's ● Mar. 29, 2026

In the complaint, Seitz alleged that Austin, Hernandez and a third man began to bother and harass him outside after the bar closed, “including by repeatedly reaching for the sunglasses resting on” his head.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 27, 2026

Then I heard you crying in the living room and remembered that there had been a third man.

From "Inkheart" by Cornelia Funke