1. three(n = noun.quantity) 3, deuce-ace, iii, leash, tercet, ternary, ternion, terzetto, threesome, tierce, trey, triad, trine, trinity, trio, triplet, troika - the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one;
is a kind of digit, figure
2. three(n = noun.artifact) trey - one of four playing cards in a deck having three pips;
is a kind of playing card
three(s = adj.all) 3, iii - being one more than two;
One more than two; two and one. 2 Sam. xxiv. 12. [1913 Webster]
"
"Three solemn aisles approach the shrine." [1913 Webster]
1. The number greater by a unit than two; three units or objects. [1913 Webster]
2. A symbol representing three units, as 3 or iii. [1913 Webster]
three, 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.
Idiom:
three-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.
Etymology:
OE thri f. Gmc
N triality, trinity, triunity, three, triad, triplet, trey, trio, ternion, leash, shamrock, tierce, spike-team, trefoil, triangle, trident, triennium, trigon, trinomial, trionym, triplopia, tripod, trireme, triseme, triskele, triskelion, trisula, third power, cube, cube root, three, triform, trinal, trinomial, tertiary, ternary, triune, triarch, triadie, triple, tri-, tris-, tria juncta in uno, triality, trinity, triunity, three, triad, triplet, trey, trio, ternion, leash, shamrock, tierce, spike-team, trefoil, triangle, trident, triennium, trigon, trinomial, trionym, triplopia, tripod, trireme, triseme, triskele, triskelion, trisula, third power, cube, cube root, three, triform, trinal, trinomial, tertiary, ternary, triune, triarch, triadie, triple, tri-, tris-, tria juncta in uno.
prayer of azariah and song of the three children, three dimensional, three hundred, three kings' day, three times, three weird sisters, three year old
1 kings, 2 kings, divine right of kings, i kings, ii kings, kings canyon national park, like kings
1. day(n = noun.time) 24-hour interval, mean solar day, solar day, twenty-four hour period, twenty-four hours - time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis; "two days later they left"; "they put on two performances every day"; "there are 30,000 passengers per day"
is a kind of time unit, unit of time
has parts: day, daylight, daytime, high noon, midday, noon, noonday, noontide, twelve noon, dark, night, nighttime, 60 minutes, hour, hr
has particulars: tomorrow, today, yesterday, morrow, eve, date, day of the month, date
Derived form adjective daily1
2. day(n = noun.time) - some point or period in time; "it should arrive any day now"; "after that day she never trusted him again"; "those were the days"; "these days it is not unusual"
is a kind of time
has particulars: crack of doom, day of judgement, day of judgment, day of reckoning, doomsday, end of the world, eschaton, judgement day, judgment day, last day, last judgement, last judgment, off-day
3. day(n = noun.time) - a day assigned to a particular purpose or observance; "Mother's Day"
is a kind of calendar day, civil day
has particulars: admission day, arbor day, cinco de mayo, commencement day, degree day, november 5, inauguration day, january 20, bissextile day, february 29, leap day, v-day, victory day, rag day, red-letter day, payday, election day, polling day, field day, field day, ides, market day, walpurgis night, december 31, new year's eve, january 19, lee's birthday, robert e lee's birthday, robert e lee day, tet, holiday, february 2, groundhog day, february 12, lincoln's birthday, february 14, saint valentine's day, st valentine's day, valentine's day, valentine day, february 22, washington's birthday, march 2, texas independence day, march 17, saint patrick's day, st patrick's day, all fools' day, april fools', april fools' day, april 14, pan american day, patriot's day, first of may, may 1, may day, mother's day, armed forces day, davis' birthday, jefferson davis' birthday, june 3, flag day, june 14, father's day, citizenship day, september 17, american indian day, october 24, united nations day, allhallows eve, hallowe'en, halloween, saint's day, june 23, midsummer eve, midsummer night, st john's eve, st john's night, school day, speech day, washday, washing day, wedding day, anniversary, day of remembrance
4. day(n = noun.time) daylight, daytime - the time after sunrise and before sunset while it is light outside; "the dawn turned night into day"; "it is easier to make the repairs in the daytime"
is a kind of period, period of time, time period
is a part of 24-hour interval, day, mean solar day, solar day, twenty-four hour period, twenty-four hours
has parts: forenoon, morn, morning, morning time
has particulars: afternoon, midafternoon, eve, even, evening, eventide
Antonym: night
5. day(n = noun.time) - the recurring hours when you are not sleeping (especially those when you are working); "my day began early this morning"; "it was a busy day on the stock exchange"; "she called it a day and went to bed"
is a kind of work time
has particulars: workday, working day
6. day(n = noun.time) - an era of existence or influence; "in the day of the dinosaurs"; "in the days of the Roman Empire"; "in the days of sailing ships"; "he was a successful pianist in his day"
is a kind of epoch, era
7. day(n = noun.time) - the period of time taken by a particular planet (e.g. Mars) to make a complete rotation on its axis; "how long is a day on Jupiter?"
is a kind of period, period of time, time period
has particulars: lunar day
8. day(n = noun.time) sidereal day - the time for one complete rotation of the earth relative to a particular star, about 4 minutes shorter than a mean solar day;
is a kind of time unit, unit of time, sidereal time
9. day(n = noun.state) - a period of opportunity; "he deserves his day in court"; "every dog has his day"
is a kind of chance, opportunity
10. day(n = noun.person) clarence day, clarence shepard day jr. - United States writer best known for his autobiographical works (1874-1935);
is a kind of author, writer
day, n.
1 the time between sunrise and sunset.
2 a a period of 24 hours as a unit of time, esp. from midnight to midnight, corresponding to a complete revolution of the earth on its axis. b a corresponding period on other planets (Martian day).
3 daylight (clear as day).
4 the time in a day during which work is normally done (an eight-hour day).
5 a (also pl.) a period of the past or present (the modern day; the old days). b (prec. by the) the present time (the issues of the day).
6 the lifetime of a person or thing, esp. regarded as useful or productive (have had my day; in my day things were different).
7 a point of time (will do it one day).
8 a the date of a specific festival. b a day associated with a particular event or purpose (graduation day; payday; Christmas day).
9 a particular date; a date agreed on.
10 a day's endeavour, or the period of an endeavour, esp. as bringing success (win the day).
Idiom:
all in a (or the) day's work part of normal routine. at the end of the day in the final reckoning, when all is said and done. call it a day end a period of activity, esp. resting content that enough has been done. day after day without respite. day and night all the time. day-boy (or -girl) Brit. a boy or girl who goes daily from home to school, esp. a school that also has boarders. day by day gradually. day care the supervision of young children during the working day. day centre a place providing care for the elderly or handicapped during the day. day-dream n. a pleasant fantasy or reverie.
--v.intr. indulge in this. day-dreamer a person who indulges in day-dreams. day in, day out routinely, constantly. day labourer an unskilled labourer hired by the day. day lily any plant of the genus Hemerocallis, whose flowers last only a day. day nursery a nursery where children are looked after during the working day. day off a day's holiday from work. Day of Judgement = Judgement Day. day of reckoning see RECKONING. day of rest the Sabbath. day out a trip or excursion for a day. day-owl any owl hunting by day esp. the short-eared owl. day release Brit. a system of allowing employees days off work for education. day return a fare or ticket at a reduced rate for a journey out and back in one day. day-room a room, esp. a communal room in an institution, used during the day. day-school a school for pupils living at home. day-to-day mundane, routine. day-trip a trip or excursion completed in one day. day-tripper a person who goes on a day-trip. not one's day a day of successive misfortunes for a person. on one's day at one's peak of capability. one of these days before very long. one of those days a day when things go badly. some day at some point in the future. that will be the day colloq. that will never happen. this day and age the present time or period.
Derivative:
dayless adj.
Etymology:
OE d{aelig}g f. Gmc
N period, age, era, second, minute, hour, day, week, month, quarter, year, decade, decenniumm lustrum, quinquennium, lifetime, generation, epoch, ghurry, lunation, moon, century, millennium, annus magnus, horary, hourly, annual.
N the present, the present time, the present day, the present moment, the present juncture, the present occasion, the times, the existing time, the time being, today, these days, nowadays, our times, modern times, the twentieth century, nonce, crisis, epoch, day, hour, age, time of life, present, actual, instant, current, existing, extant, that is, present-day, up-to-date, up-to-the-moment, at this time, at this moment, at the present time, now, at present, at hand, at this time of day, today, nowadays, already, even now, but now, just now, on the present occasion, for the time being, for the nonce, pro hac vice, on the nail, on the spot, on the spur of the moment, until now, to this day, to the present day, the present hour alone is man's.
N light, ray, beam, stream, gleam, streak, pencil, sunbeam, moonbeam, aurora, day, sunshine, light of day, light of heaven, moonlight, starlight, sunlight, daylight, broad daylight, noontide light, noontide, noonday, noonday sun, glow, glimmering, glint, play of light, flood of light, phosphorescence, lambent flame, flush, halo, glory, nimbus, aureola, spark, scintilla, facula, sparkling, emication, scintillation, flash, blaze, coruscation, fulguration, flame, lightning, levin, ignis fatuus, luster, sheen, shimmer, reflexion, reflection, gloss, tinsel, spangle, brightness, brilliancy, splendor, effulgence, refulgence, fulgor, fulgidity, dazzlement, resplendence, transplendency, luminousness, luminosity, lucidity, renitency, nitency, radiance, radiation, irradiation, illumination, actinic rays, actinism, Roentgen-ray, Xray, photography, heliography, photometer, optics, photology, photometry, dioptrics, catoptrics, chiaroscuro, clairobscur, clear obscure, breadth, light and shade, black and white, tonality, reflection, refraction, dispersion, refractivity, shining, luminous, luminiferous, lucid, lucent, luculent, lucific, luciferous, light, lightsome, bright, vivid, splendent, nitid, lustrous, shiny, beamy, scintillant, radiant, lambent, sheen, sheeny, glossy, burnished, glassy, sunny, orient, meridian, noonday, tide, cloudless, clear, unclouded, unobscured, gairish, garish, resplendent, transplendent, refulgent, effulgent, fulgid, fulgent, relucent, splendid, blazing, in a blaze, ablaze, rutilant, meteoric, phosphorescent, aglow, bright as silver, light as day, bright as day, light as noonday, bright as noonday, bright as the sun at noonday, actinic, photogenic, graphic, heliographic, heliophagous, a day for gods to stoop and men to soar, dark with excessive bright.
admission day, all day long, all fools' day, all saints' day, all souls' day, american indian day, annunciation day, april fools' day, arbor day, armed forces day, armistice day, ascension day, bastille day, bissextile day, boxing day, break of day, break of the day, by the day, calendar day, call it a day, candlemas day, childermas day, christian holy day, christmas day, citizenship day, civil day, clarence day, clarence shepard day jr., class day, columbus day, commencement day, commonwealth day, day after day, day bed, day blindness, day boarder, day book, day by day, day camp, day care, day care center, day game, day in and day out, day in day out, day jessamine, day laborer, day labourer, day lily, day nursery, day of atonement, day of judgement, day of judgment, day of reckoning, day of remembrance, day of rest, day of the month, day of the week, day off, day return, day school, day shift, day watch, decoration day, degree day, discovery day, dominion day, each day, easter day, election day, ember day, empire day, every day, fast day, father's day, feast day, fete day, field day, flag day, forever and a day, future day, gain the day, good day, groundhog day, guy fawkes day, high holy day, holy day, holy day of obligation, holy innocents' day, inauguration day, independence day, innocents' day, jewish holy day, judgement day, judgment day, labor day, lady day, lammas day, last day, leap day, lord's day, lunar day, major fast day, market day, martin luther king day, may day, mean solar day, memorial day, michaelmas day, midsummer day, midsummer's day, minor fast day, mother's day, naked as the day one was born, naked as the day you were born, name day, natal day, new year's day, night and day, order of the day, pan american day, pancake day, patriot's day, patriots' day, pioneers' day, polling day, poppy day, present day, presidents' day, quarter day, rag day, rainy day, red-letter day, remembrance day, rest day, robert e lee day, rogation day, saint patrick's day, saint valentine's day, saint's day, school day, seize the day, sidereal day, six day war, solar day, speech day, st john's day, st martin's day, st patrick's day, st valentine's day, tag day, term day, texas independence day, thanksgiving day, three kings' day, time of day, transfiguration day, twelfth day, united nations day, unlucky day, v-e day, v-j day, valentine day, valentine's day, veterans day, veterans' day, victoria day, victory day, washing day, wedding day, work day, working day