Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense trebles, present participle trebling, past tense, past participle trebled
1. verb
If something trebles or if you treble it, it becomes three times greater in number or amount than it was.
They will have to pay much more when rents treble in January. [VERB]
The city has trebled the number of its prisoners to 21,000. [VERB noun]
treblingsingular noun
A new threat to Bulgaria's stability is the week-old miners' strike for a treblingof minimum pay. [+ of]
2. predeterminer
If one thing is treble the size or amount of another thing, it is three times greater in size or amount.
More than 7 million shares changed hands, treble the normal daily average.
3. countable noun
A treble is a boy with a very high singing voice.
4. countable noun
In sport, a treble is three successes one after the other, for example winning three horse races on the same day, or winning three competitions in the same season.
[mainly British, journalism]
The win completed a treble for them–they already claimed a league and cup doublethis year.
treble in British English
(ˈtrɛbəl)
adjective
1.
threefold; triple
2.
of, relating to, or denoting a soprano voice or part or a high-pitched instrument
noun
3.
three times the amount, size, etc
4.
a soprano voice or part or a high-pitched instrument
5.
the highest register of a musical instrument
6.
a.
the high-frequency response of an audio amplifier, esp in a record player or tape recorder
b.
a control knob on such an instrument by means of which the high-frequency gain can be increased or decreased
7. bell-ringing
the lightest and highest bell in a ring
8.
a.
the narrow inner ring on a dartboard
b.
a hit on this ring
verb
9.
to make or become three times as much
Derived forms
trebleness (ˈtrebleness)
noun
trebly (ˈtrebly)
adverb, adjective
Word origin
C14: from Old French, from Latin triplus threefold, triple
treble in American English
(ˈtrɛbəl)
adjective
1.
threefold; triple
2.
a.
of or for the highest part in musical harmony
b.
playing or singing this part
3.
high-pitched or shrill
noun
4.
the highest part in musical harmony; soprano
5.
a singer or instrument that takes this part
6.
a high-pitched voice or sound
7.
the higher part of the audio-frequency band in sound reproduction
verb transitive, verb intransitiveWord forms: ˈtrebled or ˈtrebling
8.
to make or become threefold
Derived forms
trebly (ˈtrebly)
adverb
Word origin
OFr < L triplus, triple
Examples of 'treble' in a sentence
treble
The number of officers below superintendent to gain the medal has trebled and the number of chiefs more than halved.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Sales last year were almost treble its 2009 total.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
In good years, the rewards could be double or treble that.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
The treble winners in 2015 found themselves fighting relegation and playing in the Qualifiers.
The Sun (2016)
In the past six years, 41,000 shared ownership homes have been built and the new scheme will more than treble this number.
The Sun (2016)
He completed his treble four minutes into the second half with a sensational solo effort.
The Sun (2011)
These bad loans almost trebled last year.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
He would be back next season plotting a treble treble.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
They will be asked to list the great treble winners and he will be at its heart.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
In a game three days earlier he had grabbed a treble in just three minutes.
The Sun (2013)
We probably spend treble the amount of time on it.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
So how about three doubles and a treble?
The Sun (2013)
New production facilities were trebled in size and factories were built.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Bet the usual four trebles and an accumulator.
The Sun (2006)
Nor was there in the second innings when he was again out for nought to complete a treble failure.
Tibballs, Geoff Great Sporting Failures (1993)
Then there was a bit where they asked his income and he thought of a number and trebled it.
The Sun (2015)
The number of people paying fraudsters to take their driving test for them has almost trebled in three years.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
If possible, turn treble to high and bass to medium.
Thompkins, Peter, Bird, Christopher Secrets of the Soil (1990)
That treble followed up another three at Hartlepool just four weeks ago.
The Sun (2008)
We'd all like to treble our pay.
The Sun (2013)
The study showed the cooking herb is popular with the 300 men and women who have hit treble figures.
The Sun (2016)
He can complete a treble.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
In other languages
treble
British English: treble /ˈtrɛbl/ VERB
If something trebles, or if you treble it, it becomes three times greater in number or amount.
The number of claims has almost trebled this year.
American English: triple
Arabic: يَزْدادُ ثَلاَثَةَ أَضْعاف
Brazilian Portuguese: triplicar
Chinese: 成三倍
Croatian: utrostručiti
Czech: ztrojnásobit
Danish: tredoble
Dutch: verdriedubbelen
European Spanish: triplicar
Finnish: kolminkertaistaa
French: tripler
German: verdreifachen
Greek: τριπλασιάζω
Italian: triplicare
Japanese: 三倍にする
Korean: 3배로 하다
Norwegian: tredoble
Polish: potroić
European Portuguese: triplicar
Romanian: a tripla
Russian: утраивать
Latin American Spanish: triplicar
Swedish: tredubbla
Thai: เพิ่มเป็นสามเท่า
Turkish: üç katı
Ukrainian: збільшуватися втричі
Vietnamese: tăng gấp ba
Chinese translation of 'treble'
treble
(ˈtrɛbl)
adj
(= triple) 三倍的 (sān bèi de)
(Mus)
[instrument]高音 (gāoyīn)
[voice, part]高音部 (gāoyīnbù)
n(c)
(= singer) 高音歌手 (gāoyīn gēshǒu) (位, wèi)
(on hi-fi, radio etc) 高音部 (gāoyīnbù)
vt
使成三倍 (shǐ chéng sān bèi)
vi
增至三倍 (zēng zhì sān bèi)
to be treble the amount/size of sth是某物数(數)量/大小的三倍 (shì mǒuwù shùliàng/dàxiǎo de sān bèi)