fɪfθ n. & adj. --n. 1
the position in a
sequence corresponding to
that of the
number 5 in the sequence 1-5. 2
something occupying
this position. 3 the fifth
person etc. in a race or
competition. 4
any of
five equal parts of a
thing. 5 Mus. a an
interval or chord spanning five
consecutive notes in the
diatonic scale (e.g. C to G). b a
note separated
from another by this interval. 6 US colloq. a a fifth of a
gallon of
liquor. b a
bottle containing this. --adj. that is the fifth. øfifth
column a
group working for an
enemy within a
country at
war etc. (from
General Mola's
reference to
such support in besieged Madrid in 1936). fifth-columnist a
member of a fifth column; a
traitor or
spy. Fifth
Monarchy the last of the five
great kingdoms predicted in Daniel 2:44. Fifth-monarchy-man
hist. a 17th-c.
zealot expecting the
immediate second
coming of
Christ and repudiating
all other government. fifth
part =
sense 3 of n. fifth
wheel 1 an
extra wheel of a
coach. 2 a
superfluous person or thing. 3 a
horizontal turntable over the
front axle of a
carriage as an extra support to
prevent its tipping.
take the fifth (in the US)
exercise the
right guaranteed by the Fifth
Amendment to the
Constitution of refusing to
answer questions in
order to
avoid incriminating
oneself. øøfifthly adv. [earlier and
dial. fift f. OE fifta f. Gmc, assim. to FOURTH]
