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
THINK YOU’VE GOT A HANDLE ON THIS US STATE NICKNAME QUIZ?
Did you ever collect all those state quarters? Put them to good use on this quiz about curious state monikers and the facts around them.
Question 1 of 8
Mississippi’s nickname comes from the magnificent trees that grow there. What is it?
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
Example sentences from the Web for tierce
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