9th

9th — noun

1. the person or thing that holds the ninth position within a sequence — for exampl

1.nounA1
Definition

the person or thing that holds the ninth position within a sequence — for example, the ninth runner to cross the finish line, or the ninth item on a schedule.

Example

Yuki was the ninth person to arrive at the party, before the cake was cut.

the [ordinal] + person/thing + to verb — common pattern

The ninth chapter of the novel is where the detective finally solves the case.

Common collocations
  • the ninth
  • finish ninth
  • come in ninth
  • in ninth place
  • ninth in line
Synonyms
  • ninth

    identical meaning; 'ninth' is the full-word form, '9th' is the numeral

  • number nine

    informal, often used for rankings in sports or competitions

Grammar Patterns

the [ordinal] + to + verb

be + the [ordinal]

Usage Note

Usually preceded by 'the' or a possessive determiner. The spelled-out form 'ninth' is more common in writing; '9th' is used in dates, lists, and informal notes.

Common Mistakes

He finished nine in the race.
He finished ninth in the race.
Use the ordinal form (ninth/9th) for position, not the cardinal (nine).

2. each piece when you divide a whole into nine portions of the same size — used wh

2.nounB1
Definition

each piece when you divide a whole into nine portions of the same size — used when sharing food, money, time, or land among nine people or groups.

Example

Priya ate one ninth of the chocolate cake and saved the rest for later.

one ninth of + [noun] — fraction pattern

A ninth of the town's land is set aside for parks and playgrounds.

Common collocations
  • a ninth of
  • one ninth of
  • into ninths
  • divide into ninths
  • cut into ninths
Synonyms
  • nine part

    less common; used in technical or mathematical contexts

Grammar Patterns

a ninth of + [noun]

one ninth of + [noun]

Usage Note

Often used in plural ('ninths') when describing division of a whole into nine parts: 'cut the cake into ninths'. Common in measurements, recipes, and financial shares.

Common Mistakes

I ate nineth of the pizza.
I ate one ninth of the pizza.
The spelling is 'ninth' (not 'nineth'), and use 'a' or 'one' before it.

3. in Western music, the distance of one octave plus a whole step between two notes

3.nounB2
Definition

in Western music, the distance of one octave plus a whole step between two notes — for example, the space from C up to the D one octave higher.

Example

The jazz pianist played a rising ninth interval that surprised the audience.

A ninth spans an octave and a whole step, making it wider than a second.

ninth spans/measures [description]

Common collocations
  • ascending ninth
  • descending ninth
  • major ninth
  • minor ninth
  • play a ninth
Synonyms
  • compound second

    technical term describing the same interval as an octave plus a step

Usage Note

A ninth is a compound interval — an octave plus a second. Beginners often confuse it with a second because both describe the step between the same two letter-names, but a ninth is an octave higher.

4. the specific pitch that lies a ninth above the root note of a scale or chord — t

4.nounB2
Definition

the specific pitch that lies a ninth above the root note of a scale or chord — the note that musicians add to create a richer harmonic colour.

Example

The singer held the ninth of the chord for two full bars before the resolution.

hold/play/sustain + the ninth

Hassan resolved the melody by landing softly on the ninth of the scale.

Common collocations
  • the ninth
  • play the ninth
  • the ninth of the chord
  • the ninth of the scale
  • sustain the ninth
Synonyms

Usage Note

Distinguish from sense 3: sense 3 describes the interval (the distance between two notes), while sense 4 describes the actual note (the pitch itself). In chord symbols, '9' indicates both the interval and the note.

5. a musical chord built by adding the note a ninth above the root to a seventh cho

5.nounC1
Definition

a musical chord built by adding the note a ninth above the root to a seventh chord, creating a rich, colourful sound often used in jazz and late-Romantic music.

Example

Wei played a beautiful ninth chord at the very end of the piano piece.

The song's bridge features a dominant ninth chord that shifts the mood completely.

dominant ninth chord — common subtype

Common collocations
  • ninth chord
  • dominant ninth
  • major ninth chord
  • minor ninth
  • play a ninth
  • build a ninth
Synonyms
  • ninth chord

    the full term; 'a ninth' is the shortened form musicians use

  • dominant ninth

    the most common type of ninth chord built on a dominant seventh

Usage Note

Ninth chords extend seventh chords and come in several types: dominant ninth (most common), major ninth, and minor ninth. They are typical in jazz, blues, and late Romantic classical music.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

The numeral '9th' and the spelled-out 'ninth' are fully interchangeable in the series-position sense, though they differ in register: 'ninth' is preferred in formal prose and academic writing, while '9th' dominates in dates, schedules, lists, and informal notes. For example, a novel writes 'the ninth chapter' but a teacher's handout says 'see page 9th'. 'Number nine' is a casual alternative used especially in sports rankings ('He finished number nine in the tournament') — it sounds spoken and informal. 'Ninth place' is a more explicit noun phrase common in competition contexts ('She took ninth place in the qualifying round'). For general series reference, 'the ninth' (or 'the 9th') is the most neutral and widely applicable choice.

9th ↗ninth ↗number nineninth place

Common collocations

Nouns

  • ninth place
  • ninth row
  • ninth chapter
  • ninth position
  • ninth edition

Phrases

  • in the ninth
  • on the ninth
  • the ninth of

Prepositions

  • in ninth
  • of ninth
  • at ninth
  • into ninths

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word 'ninth' comes from Old English 'nigoþa' (also 'niġoþa'), which was formed from 'nigon' (nine) plus the ordinal suffix '-þa'. Over time, the 'g' sound disappeared and the spelling adjusted under the influence of 'nine', becoming 'ninth' by the Middle English period. The numeral form '9th' follows the general pattern of using Arabic numerals with the '-th' suffix for ordinal numbers.