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fourth gear. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
fourth gear, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
fourth gear in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
fourth gear you have here. The definition of the word
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English
Etymology
The figurative sense reflects that in some times and places, fourth gear was the highest gear that a car could achieve; compare French en quatrième vitesse.
Noun
fourth gear (uncountable)
- The fourth of the available gears in a transmission or other gearbox.
- Synonym: fourth (elliptical)
- Coordinate terms: low gear, first gear, second gear, third gear, fifth gear; top gear, overdrive; angel gear, neutral
- (idiomatic, dated) A maximal level of effort.
- Synonyms: top gear, overdrive; full throttle
2009, Madhu Jain, The Kapoors: The First Family of Indian Cinema, page 243:During the seventies, Shashi Kapoor went into fourth gear in Bollywood, while Merchant and Ivory made a slew of films, many of which were not set in India.
2014, Paul Monette, The Gold Diggers: A Novel:After all, he did the very same thing, pool and lunch, every Friday afternoon for five months—Friday perfect because it gave his cock a rest before the weekend, when it went into fourth gear.
See also