Dictionary.com

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.
QUIZ
CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?
There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?
Question 1 of 7
Which sentence is correct?

Origin of tierce

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English, from Middle French, feminine of tiers, from Latin tertius “third”; see third
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 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
FEEDBACK