Standard Lemma guide
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
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noun
A grouping of three.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: threesome, trine, trinity, trio, triplet, troika, triumvirate, tern, ternary, ternion, threeness, triad, trinary
Antonyms: none provided
noun
A grouping of three.
A romantic or sexual relationship between three individuals; a throuple.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: threesome, trine, trinity, trio, triplet, troika, triumvirate, tern, ternary, ternion, threeness, triad, trinary
Antonyms: none provided
noun
A word of three syllables.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: trisyllable
Antonyms: none provided
noun
A branch of a Chinese underground criminal society, mostly based in Hong Kong.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
On a CRT display, a group of three neighbouring phosphor dots, coloured green, red, and blue.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: business, electrical-engineering, electricity, electromagnetism, electronics, energy, engineering, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, physics
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
A chord consisting of a root tone, the tone two degrees higher, and the tone four degrees higher in a given scale OR any chord with three notes.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: entertainment, lifestyle, music
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
a three-note major or minor chord; a note and its third and fifth tones
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: common chord
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: chord
noun
three people considered as a unit
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: trio, threesome, trinity
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: gathering, assemblage
Narrower terms: triumvirate
noun
a set of three similar things considered as a unit
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: trio, triplet, triple
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: set
Narrower terms: trilogy, triplicity, trigon, Trimurti
noun
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: three, 3, III, trio, threesome, tierce, leash, troika, trine, trinity, ternary, ternion, triplet, tercet, terzetto, trey, deuce-ace
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: digit, figure
History
PIE word *tréyes From Latin triad-, stem of trias (“three, triad”), from Ancient Greek τριάς (triás). By surface analysis, tri- + -ad. Sense 3 (“branch of a Chinese underground criminal society”) is due to the word being applied by the British authorities to underground society in Hong Kong based on the geometry of the Chinese character, derived from a name used by some of those societies, 三合會 /三合会 (sānhéhuì, “Three Harmonies Society”), referring to the union between heaven, earth, and humanity.
Across languages
45 source translations are retained for this English entry.
