Advertisement

Want to remove ads? Log in to see fewer ads, and become a Premium Member to remove all ads.

Origin and history of thrice

thrice(adv.)

c. 1200, "three times over, on three occasions," from Old English þriga, þriwa "thrice" (from þrie "three;" see three) + adverbial genitive -es, changed c. 1600 to -ce to reflect voiceless pronunciation.

Entries linking to thrice

"1 more than two; the number which is one more than two; a symbol representing this number;" Old English þreo, fem. and neuter (masc. þri, þrie), from Proto-Germanic *thrijiz (source also of Old Saxon thria, Old Frisian thre, Middle Dutch and Dutch drie, Old High German dri, German drei, Old Norse þrir, Danish tre). This is from PIE root *trei- "three" (source also of Sanskrit trayas, Avestan thri, Greek treis, Latin tres, Lithuanian trys, Old Church Slavonic trye, Irish and Welsh tri "three").

3-D (adj.) is attested by 1952, abbreviation of three-dimensional (1878); the three dimensions were so called from late 14c. The clothing three-piece suit is recorded by 1897. The three-martini lunch is attested from 1972.

Three cheers for ______ is recorded from 1751. Three-ring circus is recorded by 1898. Three musketeers translates French les trois mousquetaires, title of the 1844 novel by Alexandre Dumas père.

Three-sixty "complete turnaround" is from 1927, originally among aviators, in reference to the number of degrees in a full circle.

    Advertisement

    Want to remove ads? Log in to see fewer ads, and become a Premium Member to remove all ads.

    Trends of thrice

    adapted from books.google.com/ngrams/ with a 7-year moving average; ngrams are probably unreliable.

    More to explore

    Share thrice

    Advertisement

    Want to remove ads? Log in to see fewer ads, and become a Premium Member to remove all ads.

    Trending
    Advertisement

    Want to remove ads? Log in to see fewer ads, and become a Premium Member to remove all ads.

    Want to remove ads? Log in to see fewer ads, and become a Premium Member to remove all ads.