trice
noun
a very short time; an instant.
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triced.
trice
1 American
[trahys]
/ traɪs /
noun
trice
2
American
[trahys]
/ traɪs /
verb (used with object)
Nautical.
triced,
tricing
-
to pull or haul with a rope.
-
to haul up and fasten with a rope (usually followed byup ).
-trice
3
American
trice
1
British
/ traɪs /
noun
trice
2
British
/ traɪs /
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of trice1
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English tryse; probably special use of trise (unrecorded) “a pull, tug,” derivative of trisen, “to pull”; see trice 2
Origin of trice2
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English trisen, from Middle Dutch trīsen “to hoist,” derivative of trīse “pulley”
Origin of -trice3
< French or Italian -trice < Latin -trīcem, accusative of -trīx -trix
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
On 15 July 1965, NASA’s Mariner 4 probe sent back grainy images of Mars, revealing a forbidding surface that destroyed florid Victorian speculation in a trice.
From Nature ● Jan. 7, 2019
We’d hired someone to help us sort through our belongings—keep it, sell it, give it away—Patty could get rid of anything in a trice.
From Salon ● Sep. 23, 2018
He was maybe three feet from the net, but somehow, in a trice, managed to extend his left arm sideways and tilt his racquet head down toward his thighs.
From The New Yorker ● Aug. 30, 2016
You saw the dancer, and then in a trice you heard the music; but seven years ago this aspect of Balanchine dancing had virtually slipped away.
From New York Times ● Jun. 25, 2015
She stared down at him, first impassively, then, in a trice, her blue eyes filled with tears.
From "Stardust" by Neil Gaiman
“Nowadays it often seems writing is nothing at all,” Duras recorded in it presciently, years before the internet made everyone a créateur or -trice.
From New York Times ● Nov. 27, 2022
He attacked her gallantly, but she was heavily armed and strongly manned, and, before he could venture to run alongside, had triced up her boarding nettings.
From Notable Voyagers From Columbus to Nordenskiold by William Henry Giles Kingston
The boarding nettings were at once triced up, the small arms got from below, and the guns loaded.
From The Two Whalers Adventures in the Pacific by William Henry Giles Kingston
Nothing was there, save the big square ports, triced up by chains to admit the air into the saloon.
From Gold Out of Celebes by Aylward Edward Dingle
“It’s the fellah that’s triced up so nately to the port rail, sor,” answered Dolan.
From Dick Leslie's Luck A Story of Shipwreck and Adventure by Harold Piffard
The door was triced up to form an outer shelter, and Barbara was a trifle astonished when Brooke signed them to enter.
From A Damaged Reputation by Harold Bindloss
Moran dragged the hammock back into the cabin, and, returning upon deck, helped Wilbur to cut away the last tricing tackle.
From Moran of the Lady Letty by Frank Norris
Her crew were tricing up the boarding-netting, dragging round the starboard guns, knocking new portholes for them, and making every preparation for a desperate resistance.
From The Great Shadow and Other Napoleonic Tales by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Everywhere they can be distinguished by their dress, by their enormous oiled sunshades, and by their habit of tricing their loads high up to the carrying pole.
From An Australian in China Being the Narrative of a Quiet Journey Across China to Burma by George Ernest Morrison
“I’ll rig up a whip from the foreyard and we can let down a hammock for ’em, tricing up one at a time.”
From The Ghost Ship A Mystery of the Sea by Henry Austin
Lanyards, chain pendents, runners and tackles for tricing up, and bars and keys for securing lower deck ports In place.
From Ordnance Instructions for the United States Navy. 1866. Fourth edition. by United States. Navy Dept. Bureau of Ordnance
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