Phrase guide

third gear

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The third of the available gears in a transmission or other gearbox.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: third

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

the third from the lowest forward ratio gear in the gear box of a motor vehicle

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • you shouldn't try to start in third gear

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: third

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: gear, gear mechanism

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

11 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: тре́та преда́вка (tréta predávka) — third gear of an engine
  • Finnish: kolmonen — third gear of an engine
  • Finnish: kolmosvaihde — third gear of an engine
  • German: dritter Gang — third gear of an engine
  • Interlingua: tertie velocitate — third gear of an engine
  • Macedonian: трета брзина (treta brzina) — third gear of an engine
  • Polish: trzeci bieg — third gear of an engine
  • Portuguese: terceira (marcha) — third gear of an engine
  • Russian: тре́тья переда́ча (trétʹja peredáča) — third gear of an engine
  • Swedish: trea — third gear of an engine
  • Swedish: treans växel — third gear of an engine