three

[ three ]
See synonyms for three on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a cardinal number, 2 plus 1.

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

  1. a set of this many persons or things.

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

adjective
  1. amounting to three in number.

Idioms about three

  1. three sheets in the wind. sheet2 (def. 3).

Origin of three

1
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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use three in a sentence

  • The world was hurrying by—in twos and threes—hurrying to warm cafés, to friends, to lovers.

    The Real Latin Quarter | F. Berkeley Smith
  • The lighter chants are in threes or fours, and consist of iambics and trochees irregularly.

    The Indian in his Wigwam | Henry R. Schoolcraft
  • Then he martialled his remaining men and threw them toward Gunnar in threes.

    Hunters Out of Space | Joseph Everidge Kelleam
  • When she was able to sit up they would come by twos and threes and bring their work and chat until she was tired.

    Girls and Women | Harriet E. Paine (AKA E. Chester}

British Dictionary definitions for three

three

/ (θriː) /


noun
  1. the cardinal number that is the sum of two and one and is a prime number: See also number (def. 1)

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

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

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

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

determiner
    • amounting to three: three ships

    • (as pronoun): three were killed

Origin of three

1
Old English thrēo; related to Old Norse thrīr, Old High German drī, Latin trēs, Greek treis

Other words from three

  • Related adjectives: ternary, tertiary, treble, triple
  • Related prefixes: tri-, ter-

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