triliteral

[ trahy-lit-er-uhl ]

/ traɪˈlɪt ər əl /

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adjective

using or consisting of three letters.

(of Semitic roots) consisting of three consonants.

noun

a triliteral word or root.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of triliteral

First recorded in 1745–55; tri- + literal

Words nearby triliteral

trilateration, trilby, trilemma, trilinear, trilingual, triliteral, triliteralism, trilithon, trill, Trilling, trillion

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use triliteral in a sentence

Triliteral, trī-lit′ėr-al, adj. consisting of three letters.
Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 4 of 4: S-Z and supplements)|Various
We can recognise any Semitic dialect by the triliteral character of its roots.
Chips From A German Workshop - Volume I|Friedrich Max Mller
Words like pity might be made triliteral (triconsonantal) by doubling the tt; words like pitted, by ejecting it.
Man and His Migrations|R. G. (Robert Gordon) Latham
Triliteral and Multiliteral Propositions (such as “All abc are de”).
Symbolic Logic|Lewis Carroll

As Egyptian roots seldom exceeded three letters, there was no need for triliteral phonograms to spell them.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 9, Slice 1|Various

British Dictionary definitions for triliteral

triliteral

/ (traɪˈlɪtərəl) /

adjective

having three letters

(of a word root in Semitic languages) consisting of three consonants

noun

a word root of three consonants

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