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tierce
[ teers ]
/ tɪərs /
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noun
an old measure of capacity equivalent to one third of a pipe, or 42 wine gallons.
a cask or vessel holding this quantity.
Also terce [turs] /tɜrs/ .Ecclesiastical. the third of the seven canonical hours, or the service for it, originally fixed for the third hour of the day (or 9 a.m.).
Fencing. the third of eight defensive positions.
Piquet. a sequence of three cards of the same suit, as an ace, king, and queen (tierce major ), or a king, queen, and jack (tierce minor ).
Obsolete. a third or third part.
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Origin of tierce
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English, from Middle French, feminine of tiers, from Latin tertius “third”; see third
Words nearby tierce
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use tierce in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for tierce
tierce
/ (tɪəs) /
noun
a variant of terce
the third of eight basic positions from which a parry or attack can be made in fencing
(tɜːs) cards a sequence of three cards in the same suit
an obsolete measure of capacity equal to 42 wine gallons
Word Origin for tierce
C15: from Old French, feminine of tiers third, from Latin tertius
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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