three-speed gear, two-speed gear and variable gear

1. A contrivance for changing gear at will
2. See also synchromesh

three /thrē/

noun

1. The cardinal number next above two
2. A symbol representing that number (3, iii, etc)
3. A set of three things or people
4. A score of three points, strokes, tricks, etc
5. An article of a size denoted by 3
6. A playing card with three pips
7. The third hour after midnight or midday
8. The age of three years

adjective

1. Of the number three
2. Three years old

threeˈness noun

The state of being three

threeˈsome noun

1. A group of three people
2. A game or dance for three

adjective

1. For three
2. Triple

three balls plural noun

The pawnbroker's sign

three-bottˈle adjective

Able to drink three bottles of wine at a sitting

threeˈ-card adjective

Played with three cards

three-card trick noun

A card-sharp's play in which the victim is invited to bet on which of three cards, turned face down and deftly manipulated, is the queen (also called find the lady)

three-cenˈtred adjective

(of an arch) composed of circular arcs with three different centres

three cheers plural noun

Three shouts of ‘hurrah’, to show approval, etc (also figurative)

threeˈ-cleft adjective

Cut halfway down into three lobes

threeˈ-colour adjective

Involving or using three colours as primaries

three-colour process noun

The method of producing colour pictures from the three primary originals (yellow, red and blue) prepared by photography

three-corˈnered adjective

1. Triangular in form or section
2. Having three competitors or three members

three-day event, three-day eventer see under event

threeˈ-deck adjective

three-deckˈer noun

1. A ship with three decks or guns on three decks
2. A building or structure with three floors or tiers
3. A pulpit with three levels
4. A three-volume novel
5. A double sandwich, with two layers of filling and three layers of bread
6. Any other thing with three layers, levels, etc

adjective

Having three decks or layers

three-dimenˈsional adjective

1. Having, or seeming to have, three dimensions
2. Giving the effect of being seen or heard in an environment of three dimensions (shortened to three-D or 3-D)
3. (of, eg a literary work) developed in detail and thus realistic

threeˈ-dimensionalˈity noun

three-farˈthing adjective

three-farˈthings singular noun

A silver coin issued under Queen Elizabeth I, distinguished from a penny by a rose behind the queen's head

threeˈfold adjective and adverb

1. In three parts
2. (by) three times as much

threeˈfoldness noun

threeˈ-foot adjective

Measuring or having three feet

three-fourˈ adjective (music)

With three crotchets to the bar

three-fourˈ or three-four time noun

The time signature (3/4) indicating three crochets to the bar

three-halfpence /thrē-hāˈpəns/ noun

1. An old penny and a halfpenny
2. A coin of that value

three-halfpenny /thrē-hāpˈni/ adjective

three-halfˈpennyworth or threeha'porth /thrē-hāpˈərth/ noun

An amount of something costing one old penny and a halfpenny

threeˈ-handed adjective

1. Having three hands
2. Played by three players

three-jaw chuck noun (engineering)

A scroll chuck (qv) with three jaws for holding cylindrical workpieces, materials or tools

threeˈ-leaved (or threeˈ-leafed) adjective

1. Having three leaves or leaflets
2. Having leaves in threes

threeˈ-legged /-legd, -legˈid/ adjective

1. Having three legs
2. (of a race) run by pairs of runners, each with a leg tied to his or her partner's adjacent one

three-line whip see under whip

threeˈ-man adjective (Shakespeare)

Worked or performed by three men

three-mastˈed adjective

three-mastˈer noun

A ship with three masts

three-mile limit noun

(in international law) the outer limit of the territorial waters around a state, extending to three nautical miles

threeˈ-monthly noun and adjective

Quarterly

threeˈ-nooked adjective (Shakespeare)

Three-cornered

threeˈ-pair or threeˈ-pair-of-stairs adjective

On a third floor

noun

A room so situated

threeˈ-part adjective

Composed in three parts or for three voices

three-partˈed adjective

1. Consisting of three parts
2. Parted in three
3. Divided into three nearly to the base

threeˈ-parts adverb

To the extent of three-quarters

threepence /threpˈ, thripˈ, thrupˈəns/ noun

Money, or a coin, of the value of three old pence

threepenny /threpˈ, thripˈ, thrupˈni or -ə-ni/ adjective

1. Sold or offered at threepence
2. Of little worth
3. Mean, vulgar

noun

A coin of the value of threepence (also threepenny bit or piece)

threepennyworth or threepenn'orth /thrē-penˈi-wərth, thrē-penˈərth/, also (chiefly Scot) threepˈenceworth noun

An amount of something costing threepence

three-per-centsˈ plural noun

Bonds or other securities paying three per cent interest, esp a portion of the consolidated debt of Great Britain

threeˈ-phase adjective (elec eng)

(of an electric supply system) in which the alternating potentials on the three wires differ in phase from each other by 120º

threeˈ-piece adjective

Comprising three parts, three matching pieces, etc

noun

Anything with three matching pieces, esp a suite of furniture

threeˈ-pile adjective

Having loops of three threads

noun (Shakespeare)

The finest kind of velvet

threeˈ-piled adjective

1. Three-pile
2. Piled three-high

threeˈ-ply adjective

Having three layers or strands

noun

Any material with three layers or strands

three-point landing noun (aeronautics)

A landing with all three wheels touching the ground at the same moment, a perfect landing

three-point turn noun

The process of turning a vehicle round to face in the opposite direction by moving it forward, reversing, then moving forward again, turning the steering-wheel appropriately

threeˈ-pound adjective

Costing or weighing three pounds

three-poundˈer noun

1. A thing that weighs three pounds
2. A gun that shoots a three-pound ball

threeˈ-pricker noun (RAF sl)

1. A three-point landing
2. Anything right or perfect

three-quarˈter adjective and adverb

1. To the amount of three-fourths
2. ( adjective) being three quarters of the normal size or length (used of beds, coats, etc)

noun

A three-quarter back

three-quarter back noun (rugby)

A player between halfbacks and full back

three-quarter face noun

An aspect between full face and profile

three-quarˈter-length adjective

(of a coat, sleeve, etc) being three quarters of the full length

three quarters noun

1. (a part equal to) three fourths of a whole
2. The greater part of something

three-ring circus noun

1. A circus with three rings in which simultaneous separate performances are given
2. A showy or extravagant event (figurative)
3. A confusing or bewildering scene or situation

threeˈscore noun and adjective

Sixty

three-sidˈed adjective

Having three sides

three-speed gear noun

A gear-changing device with three gear positions

threeˈ-square adjective

Having an equilateral triangle as a cross-section

three-starˈ adjective

1. (esp of a hotel) of a quality or rank denoted by three in a four- or five-star grading system
2. Of or being a lieutenant-general (US)

threeˈ-suitˈed adjective (Shakespeare)

Allowed three suits of clothes a year as a serving-man

threeˈ-volume adjective

In three volumes

threeˈ-way adjective

1. Giving connection in three directions from a centre
2. Involving three people or things

three-went way noun (dialect)

A place where three roads meet

three-wheelˈer noun

A vehicle having three wheels, esp a motor vehicle with two rear wheels and a single front wheel

the three R's see under R

the Three Wise Men see under magus

threescore and ten

Seventy

three times three

Three cheers repeated three times