c.1880: a low gambling game by tossing up three pennies or other coins and crying to them — The Detectives Handbook, published in Australia. Quoted in Sidney J. Baker, The Australian Language, second edition, 1966, chapter XI, end of section 3, page 247.
Wikipedia foundation.
Three — (thr[=e]), a. [OE. [thorn]re, [thorn]reo, [thorn]ri, AS. [thorn]r[=i], masc., [thorn]re[ o], fem. and neut.; akin to OFries. thre, OS. thria, threa, D. drie, G. drei, OHG. dr[=i], Icel. [thorn]r[=i]r, Dan. & Sw. tre, Goth. [thorn]reis, Lith. trys … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
three — /three/, n. 1. a cardinal number, 2 plus 1. 2. a symbol for this number, as 3 or III. 3. a set of this many persons or things. 4. a playing card, die face, or half of a domino face with three pips. adj. 5. amounting to three in number. 6. three… … Universalium
three — O.E. þreo, fem. and neut. (masc. þri, þrie), from P.Gmc. *thrijiz (Cf. O.Fris. thre, M.Du., Du. drie, O.H.G. dri, Ger. drei, O.N. þrir, Dan. tre), from PIE *trejes (Cf. Skt. trayas, Avestan thri, Gk. treis … Etymology dictionary
three — S1 [θri:] number [: 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… … Dictionary of contemporary English
three — three; three·ling; three·pence; three·pen·ny; three·pen·ny·worth; three·fold; three·some; … English syllables
Three — Three, n. 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] {Rule of three}. (Arith.) See under {Rule}, n. [1913 Webster] [1913 Webster] … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
Three Rs — (pronounced three ars ), can refer to: * Animal testing, an abbreviation for, reduce, replace, refine * The three Rs, a widely used abbreviation for the basic elements of a primary school curriculum: reading, ’riting (writing), and ’rithmetic… … Wikipedia
three-D — adjective a three D movie, picture, etc. looks as if it has height, depth, and width: a three D backdrop effect ╾ ,three D noun uncount: They re showing the film in three D … Usage of the words and phrases in modern English
three — [thrē] adj. [ME < OE threo, thrie, akin to Ger drei < IE base * trei > L tres, Gr treis, Sans tri] totaling one more than two n. 1. the cardinal number between two and four; 3; III 2. any group of three people or things 3. something… … English World dictionary
three-D — three D, 3 D [ˌθri: ˈdi:] adj a three D film or picture is made so that it appears to be three dimensional >three D n [U] ▪ a film in 3 D … Dictionary of contemporary English
three — ► CARDINAL NUMBER ▪ one more than two; 3. (Roman numeral: iii or III.) ● three parts Cf. ↑three parts DERIVATIVES threefold adjective & adverb. ORIGIN Old English … English terms dictionary
