three S1 /θriː/ BrE AmE number
[Language: Old English; Origin: thrie, threo] 1. the number 3:
They’ve won their last three games.
We’d better go. It’s almost three (=three o'clock).
My little sister’s only three (=three years old). 2. in threes in groups of three people or things:
Teachers taking part will be asked to work in threes. ⇨ ↑threesome, ↑third
three[threethrees][θriː][θriː]number
3 There are examples of how to use numbers at the entry for five. more at in twos and threes at two Idiom: three Rs Word Origin:
Old English thrīe (masculine), thrīo, thrēo (feminine), of Germanic origin; related to Dutch drie and German drei, from an Indo-European root shared by Latin tres and Greek treis.
three /ˈɵriː/ noun, plthrees 1[count] : the number 3 2[count] : the third in a set or series • the three of hearts 3[noncount] : three o'clock • “What time is it?” “It's three.” • I leave each day at three. in threes : in groups of three • You'll be working in threes. three sheets to the wind
- see 2sheet two's company, three's a crowd
- see company
- threeadj • three feet/dollars/weeks
- threepronoun • I'll take three, please. • Seven students passed the test and three failed.
