Three (?), a. [OE. þre, þreo, þri, AS. þr, masc., þreó, fem. and neut.;
akin to OFries. thre, OS. thria, threa, D. drie, G. drei, OHG. dr,
Icel. þrr, Dan. & Sw. tre, Goth. þreis, Lith. trys, Ir., Gael. & W.
tri, Russ. tri, L. tres, Gr. trei^s, Skr. tri. √301. Cf. 3d Drilling,
Tern, a., Third, Thirteen, Thirty, Tierce, Trey, Tri-, Triad, Trinity,
Tripod.] One more than two; two and one. "I offer thee three things." 2
Sam. xxiv. 12.
Three solemn aisles approach the shrine.
Keble.
Three is often joined with other words, forming compounds signifying
divided into, composed of, or containing, three parts, portions,
organs, or the like; as, three-branched, three-capsuled, three-celled,
three-cleft, three-edged, three-foot, three- footed, three-forked,
three-grained, three-headed, three-legged, three-mouthed, three-nooked,
three-petaled, three-pronged, three-ribbed, three-seeded,
three-stringed, three-toed, and the like.
Three, n. 1. The number greater by a unit than two; three units or
objects.