tri-

American  

1. a combining form meaning “three,” used in the formation of compound words.

   triacid; triatomic.

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tri- British  

prefix

1. three or thrice

   triaxial

   trigon

   trisect

2. occurring every three

   trimonthly

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Usage

What does tri- mean? Tri- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “three.” Tri- is often used in a great variety of both everyday and technical terms.Tri- ultimately comes from both Greek treîs, tría and Latin trēs, tria, all of which mean “three.”

Etymology

Origin of tri-

Middle English < Latin, combining form representing Latin trēs, tria, Greek treîs, tría three

Example Sentences

President Joko Widodo has yet to publicly respond to the call to fire Laksana Tri Handoko, a theoretical physicist who jumped into Indonesia’s political arena.

From Science Magazine

Sunday on Plume Way when about eight feet of backyards behind homes in the Tri Pointe Homes development slid down into the houses in the Canyon Country neighborhood, according to Carrie Lujan, a city of Santa Clarita spokeswoman.

From Los Angeles Times

“We are working with the impacted homeowners, including covering their costs for intermediary housing, while a remediation plan is being developed to stabilize and rebuild the slope,” Tri Pointe Homes said in the statement.

From Los Angeles Times

He played for Mexico at the U-23 and senior levels but did so without filing the necessary paperwork, resulting in forfeits and fines for El Tri.

From Los Angeles Times

Neither El Tri nor the U.S. currently has a permanent head coach, and the new bosses’ attitude toward Zendejas’ talents could be an important factor.

From Seattle Times