Etimology
From Middle English thre, threo, thrie, thri, from Old English þrī, from Proto-West Germanic *þrīʀ, from Proto-Germanic *þrīz, from Proto-Indo-European *tréyes. Doublet of trey. Cognate with German drei, Albanian tre, Armenian երեք (erekʻ), Latin trēs, Latvian trīs, Lithuanian trỹs, Greek τρεῖς (treîs), Old Church Slavonic трьѥ (trĭje), and others.
numeral
three
A numerical value after two and before four. Represented in Arabic digits as 3; this many dots (•••).
Describing a set or group with three elements.
Examples
Venters began to count them—one—two—three—four—on up to sixteen.
Okay, on three, we open the door and jump on the rope. One, two…Wait, wait! Do we go on three? Or do we go on “go”?Three! Who said anything about “go”?
Why should she care? One…two…Do we shoot on three?Yes on three. Like one, two, three, shoot.
Related words
synonyms
(numerical value): leash, tether (dialectal)
related terms
third, thrice, triple
noun
three (plural threes)
The digit/figure 3.
Anything measuring three units, as length.
A person who is three years old.
The playing card featuring three pips.
Three o'clock, either a.m. or p.m.
(basketball) Abbreviation of three-pointer.
Examples
Put all the threes in a separate container.
All the threes will go in Mrs. Smith's class, while I'll take the fours and fives.
It was a weary time. A carriage clock had been placed on the discoloured wooden mantelpiece, and slowly its hands crept on from one to two and from two to three.