third class—
1. (railway carriages) the class next below the second:
- Ladies traveling alone would never have traveled third class. Even ladies’ maids always traveled second.
2. the lowest honors degree obtained from a British university:
- Some of my best friends got a third class degree, and they’re amongst the most successful people I know.
third-rate—decidedly poor in point of quality:
- Do you honestly think Microsoft or Disney would hire a “third-rate” lawyer from an “undistinguished firm”?