triliteral

American  

[trahy-lit-er-uhl] / traɪˈlɪt ər əl /

adjective

1. using or consisting of three letters.

2. (of Semitic roots) consisting of three consonants.

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noun

1. a triliteral word or root.

triliteral British  

/ traɪˈlɪtərəl /

adjective

1. having three letters

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

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noun

1. a word root of three consonants

Etymology

Origin of triliteral

First recorded in 1745–55; tri- + literal

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

triliteral

For 90 years Britons have adventured out to India and returned a-homing upon steamers bearing the triliteral device, "P. & O."

From Time Magazine Archive

He was the first to discover the triliteral character of all Hebrew roots.

From Rashi by Szold, Adele

The triliteral name of God in the Brahminical mysteries, and equivalent among the Hindoos to the tetragrammaton of the Jews.

From The Symbolism of Freemasonry by Mackey, Albert G.

Thus, like them, he distinguishes triliteral, biliteral, and even uniliteral roots; but contrary to them, he maintains that contracted and quiescent verbs are triliteral and not biliteral.

From Rashi by Szold, Adele

The three great immutable words, preceded by the triliteral syllable, and followed by the gáyatri, which consists of three measures, must be considered as the mouth, or principal part of the Veda.

From Ten Great Religions An Essay in Comparative Theology by Clarke, James Freeman