fourth of july
/ˌfɔɹθ‿əv d͡ʒəˈlaɪ/
Word Rarity
Uncommon
Frequency: 4.67 in modern English
31
Scrabble Score
12
Letters
2
Syllables
9
Unique Chars
Meaning
name
The national holiday of Independence Day in the United States, celebrated (commonly with fireworks) on the fourth day in July to mark the anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence from Great Britain in 1776.
name
Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see Fourth, of, July.
Example Sentences
- "And the Ohio State Journal reports that “it was the hottest, quietest, and safest Fourth of July that Columbus ever had. The firecracker, the gun, and the cannon did not appear, and so there was not an injured or mangled boy or dead body anywhere yesterday as a result of powder patriotism. What a happy condition for the city to be in! What a marked difference from other days, after the Fourth. It seems that these ear splitting and soul stabbing Fourth of Julys are ended; and it is well; it is very well.”"
- "MARY went in to the frail little mother and told her the news through the cotton wool in both ears. Mrs. Davis had no difficulty hearing, so beautifully penetrating is good news. The relief in her pale little face “choked” Mary. / “My dear! You are an angel, there in that white robe! All you haven’t got is wings! If you knew—if anybody but me could know the tortures Fourth of Julys are to me.[…]”"
- "Our Fourth of Julys are sounding different, too. Come to one of our barbeques and you might hear “Praise the Lord and Pass the Metamucil” or that ol’ patriotic favorite “Let Eardrums Ring.”"
- "The brightest supernova in your Milky Way galaxy to be visible from Earth was seen and recorded by the Chinese during the Song Dynasty on the 4th of July in A.D. 1054."
Etymology
The proper noun comes from an ellipsis of the fourth day of July. The common noun is derived from the proper noun.
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˌfɔɹθ‿əv d͡ʒəˈlaɪ/
- British English: /ˌfɔːθ‿əv d͡ʒʊˈlaɪ/
Usage
- American usage