tierce
[ teers ]
/ tɪərs /
Save This Word!
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.
QUIZZES
QUIZ YOURSELF ON THE 12 TYPES OF VERB TENSES!
Loosen up your grammar muscles because it’s time to test your knowledge on verb tenses!
Question 1 of 6
The verb tenses can be split into which 3 primary categories?
Meet Grammar Coach
Improve Your Writing
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. 2021
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
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012