trident

[ trahyd-nt ]
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noun
  1. a three-pronged instrument or weapon.

  2. Roman History. a three-pronged spear used by a retiarius in gladiatorial combats.

  1. Classical Mythology. the three-pronged spear forming a characteristic attribute of the sea god Poseidon, or Neptune.

  2. a fish spear having three prongs.

  3. Trident, Military. a 34-foot (10-meter) submarine-launched U.S. ballistic missile with eight to ten warheads and a range of 6,500 miles (10,459 km).

adjective
  1. Also tri·den·tal [trahy-den-tl]. /traɪˈdɛn tl/. having three prongs or tines.

Origin of trident

1
First recorded in 1580–90; from Latin trident- (stem of tridēns ) “having three teeth”; see tri-, dent2

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British Dictionary definitions for trident (1 of 2)

trident

/ (ˈtraɪdənt) /


noun
  1. a three-pronged spear, originally from the East

  2. (in Greek and Roman mythology) the three-pronged spear that the sea god Poseidon (Neptune) is represented as carrying

  1. a three-pronged instrument, weapon, or symbol

adjective
  1. having three prongs

Origin of trident

1
C16: from Latin tridēns three-pronged, from tri- + dēns tooth

British Dictionary definitions for Trident (2 of 2)

Trident

/ (ˈtraɪdənt) /


noun
  1. a type of US submarine-launched ballistic missile with independently targetable warheads

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