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View synonyms for ternary

ternary

[ tur-nuh-ree ]

adjective

  1. consisting of or involving three; threefold; triple.
  2. third in order or rank.
  3. based on the number three.
  4. Chemistry.
    1. consisting of three different elements or groups.
    2. (formerly) consisting of three atoms.
  5. Mathematics. having three variables.
  6. Metallurgy. (of an alloy) having three principal constituents.


noun

, plural ter·na·ries.
  1. a group of three.

ternary

/ ˈtɜːnərɪ /

adjective

  1. consisting of three or groups of three
  2. maths
    1. (of a number system) to the base three
    2. involving or containing three variables
  3. (of an alloy, mixture, or chemical compound) having three different components or composed of three different elements
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012


noun

  1. a group of three
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Word History and Origins

Origin of ternary1

1400–50; late Middle English < Latin ternārius made up of three. See tern 2, -ary
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Word History and Origins

Origin of ternary1

C14: from Latin ternārius, from ternī three each
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Example Sentences

No ternary verses are found in Mirèio, that is, verses that fall into three equal parts.

It may occur in lines of any length; but in lines of five or six syllables the binary and ternary movements are generally mingled.

Many ternary lines of five and six syllables are found, but they are almost invariably mingled with binary lines.

The Spanish ternary 12-syllable line was formerly used chiefly in combination with lines of ten or eleven syllables.

Rarely one finds 6-syllable and 9-syllable lines with regular ternary movement, and these are probably never of popular origin.

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ternaternary form