Tertiary
[TER-shee-er-ee]
Part of speech: adjective
Origin: Latin, mid-16th century
1.
Third in order or level.
2.
Relating to or denoting the medical treatment provided at a specialist institution.
Examples of Tertiary in a sentence
"If my first two paint choices aren't available, I'll still be happy with the tertiary one on the list."
"My primary care doctor recommended I visit a physical therapist for tertiary treatment."
About Tertiary
Quite simply, "tertiary" means "third." But it also has specialized definitions in many applications. To geologists, "tertiary" is a specific period of the Cenozoic Era. Chemists use the term to describe particular organic compounds, and ecologists describe carnivores that eat other carnivores as tertiary.
Did you Know?
In the United States, childhood education is called "elementary school," and middle school and high school are sometimes called "secondary school." These years of education are required, but going to college or a university is optional. In the U.K., the latter is called "tertiary education."
