θri: n. & adj. --n. 1 a
one more than two, or
seven less than
ten. b a
symbol for this (3, iii, III). 2 a size etc. denoted by three. 3
the time of three o'clock. 4 a set of three. 5 a card
with three pips. --adj.
that amount to three. øthree-card
trick a game in
which bets are
made on which is the
queen among three cards lying
face downwards. three cheers see
CHEER. three-colour process a process of reproducing
natural colours by combining photographic images in the three
primary colours. three-cornered 1
triangular. 2 (of a
contest etc.)
between three parties as individuals. three-decker 1 a
warship with three gun-decks. 2 a novel in three volumes. 3 a
sandwich with three slices of
bread. three-dimensional having or appearing to
have length,
breadth,
and depth. three-handed 1 having or using three hands. 2 involving three players. three-legged race a running-race between pairs, one
member of
each pair having the left
leg tied to the
right leg of the
other. three-line
whip a
written notice, underlined three times to
denote urgency, to members of a
political party to
attend a
parliamentary vote. three parts three quarters. three-phase see
PHASE. three-piece consisting of three items (esp. of a
suit of
clothes or a
suite of furniture). three-ply adj. of three strands, webs, or thicknesses. --n. 1 three-ply
wool. 2 three-ply
wood made by gluing
together three layers with the
grain in
different directions. three-point
landing Aeron. the landing of an
aircraft on the two main wheels and the tail
wheel or
skid simultaneously. three-point
turn a
method of
turning a
vehicle round in a
narrow space by
moving forwards,
backwards, and forwards
again in a
sequence of arcs. three-quarter n. (also three-quarter back)
Rugby Football any of three or
four players
just behind the half-backs. --adj. 1 consisting of three-fourths of
something. 2 (of a portrait)
going down to the hips or
showing three-fourths of the face (between full face and profile). three-quarters three parts
out of four. three-ring
circus esp. US 1 a circus with three rings for
simultaneous performances. 2 an
extravagant display. the three Rs
reading,
writing, and
arithmetic, regarded as the fundamentals of
learning. three-way involving three ways or participants. three-wheeler a vehicle with three wheels. [OE thri f. Gmc]