three

[three]

noun

1. a cardinal number, 2 plus 1.

2. a symbol for this number, as 3 or III.

3. a set of this many persons or things.

4. a playing card, die face, or half of a domino face with three pips.

adjective

1. amounting to three in number.

three

/ θriː /

noun

1. the cardinal number that is the sum of two and one and is a prime number See also number

2. a numeral, 3, III, (iii), representing this number

3. the amount or quantity that is one greater than two

4. something representing, represented by, or consisting of three units such as a playing card with three symbols on it

5. Also called: three o'clock. three hours after noon or midnight

determiner

1. 1. amounting to three

      three ships

   2. ( as pronoun )

      three were killed

Word History and Origins

Origin of three¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English thrēo, thrīo, feminine and neuter of thrī(e); cognate with Dutch drie, German drei, Old Norse thrīr, Gothic threis, Greek treîs, Latin trēs “three,” ter “thrice,” Irish trí, Old Church Slavonic tri, Sanskrit trī, tráyas

Word History and Origins

Origin of three¹

Old English thrēo; related to Old Norse thrīr, Old High German drī, Latin trēs, Greek treis

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. three sheets in the wind. sheet.

Example Sentences

He was set to be one of three candidates standing for Ireland's head of state, alongside Independent TD Catherine Connolly and Fine Gael's Heather Humphreys.

From BBC

Sunday's game was Grealish's last for three weeks - having just managed to string together six successive Premier League starts for the first time in nearly two and a half years.

From BBC

"If people want to make an assessment after three and a half weeks, after we have had seven games, there's nothing I can do about that," he said.

From BBC

After three months of research and development, the end result is a whimsical meal surrounded by four-dimensional art that diners can interact with, not simply observe.

From Salon

Mr McKeown said despite the infection being detected in only one house out of three, all birds on the site - estimated to be about 20,000 - will be culled.

From BBC