numeral / noun
fifth
FIFTH/fˈɪfθ/
Having position five in an ordered sequence.
The runner in blue finishes fifth, following four runners in gray.
Etymology
Old English fifta already expressed position rather than quantity: not five things together, but the place reached after the first four. The selected meaning preserves that ordinal function.
In context
the fifth unit. When the fifth unit is drunk, right, there is no more utility to be gained compared to the fourth one.
More examples
- Four runners cross the line before the fifth arrives.
- Today we celebrate our daughter's fifth birthday.
- The melody rises a fifth from C to G.
Forms
fifth · fifths
five numeral — The number equal to four plus one.
fifthly adverb — In the fifth position in a list.