three, thre

& s. [A. S. threó, thrió, thri. thrý; cogn. with Dut. drie; Icel. thrir (fem. thrjar, neut, thriu); Dan.tre; Sw. tre; Goth. threis; Ger. drei; Irish, Gael., & Wel. tri; Ru . tri; Lat. tres (neut. tri a); Gr. treis (neut. tri a ); Sansc. tri; Fr. trois; Ital. tre; Sp. tres.] IMG:content-1051.png:[blocks in formation] B. As substantive: 4077 1. The number which consists of two and one. "By twos and threes."-Shakesp.: Winter's Tale, i. 2. 2. A symbol denoting three units, as 3 or iii. (1) Rule of Three: Arith.: [PROPORTION, 8., II. 2.] (2) Three-times-three: Three cheers thrice repeated. (Tennyson: In Memoriam , conc. 104.) Three is largely used as the first element in compounds, denoting something which contains three parts, portions, organs, or the like; as, three edged, three -headed, three -pointed, three -stringed, . *three-aged, adj . Living during three generations.