4. A sequence of three playing cards of the same suit. Tierce of ace,
king, queen, is called tierce-major.
5. (Fencing) A position in thrusting or parrying in which the wrist and
nails are turned downward.
6. (R. C. Ch.) The third hour of the day, or nine a. m,; one of the
canonical hours; also, the service appointed for that hour.
<! p. 1508 !>
Tier*cé" (?), a. [F.] (Her.) Divided into three equal parts of three
different tinctures; — said of an escutcheon.
{ Tier"cel (?), Tierce"let (?), } n. [OE. tercel, tercelet, F.
tiercelet, a dim. of (assumed) tiercel, or LL. tertiolus, dim. fr. L.
tertius the third; — so called, according to some, because every third
bird in the nest is a male, or, according to others, because the male
is the third part less than female. Cf. Tercel.] (Falconry) The male of
various falcons, esp. of the peregrine; also, the male of the goshawk.
Encyc. Brit.
Tierce"-ma`jor (?), n. [Cf. F. tierce majeure.] (Card Playing) See
Tierce, 4.
Tier"cet (?), n. [F. tercet. See Tercet.] (Pros.) A triplet; three
lines, or three lines rhyming together.
Tie"-rod (?), n. A rod used as a tie. See Tie.
||Tiers` é`tat" (?). [F.] The third estate, or commonalty, in France,
||answering to the commons in Great Britain; — so called in distinction
||from, and as inferior to, the nobles and clergy.
||
The refusal of the clergy and nobility to give the tiers état a
representation in the States-general proportioned to their actual
numbers had an important influence in bringing on the French Revolution
of 1789. Since that time the term has been purely historical.
Tie"tick (?), n. The meadow pipit. [Prov. Eng].
Tie"wig` (?), n. A wig having a tie or ties, or one having some of the
curls tied up; also, a wig tied upon the head. Wright. V. Knox.
Tiff (?), n. [Originally, a sniff, sniffing; cf. Icel. &?;efr a smell,
&?;efa to sniff, Norw. tev a drawing in of the breath, teva to sniff,
smell, dial. Sw. tüv smell, scent, taste.] 1. Liquor; especially, a
small draught of liquor. "Sipping his tiff of brandy punch." Sir W.
Scott.
2. A fit of anger or peevishness; a slight altercation or contention.
See Tift. Thackeray.
Tiff, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Tiffed (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Tiffing.] To be
in a pet.
She tiffed with Tim, she ran from Ralph.
Landor.
Tiff, v. t. [OE. tiffen, OF. tiffer, tifer, to bedizen; cf. D. tippen
to clip the points or ends of the hair, E. tip, n.] To deck out; to
dress. [Obs.] A. Tucker.
Tif"fa*ny (?), n. [OE. tiffenay; cf. OF. tiffe ornament, tiffer to
adjust, adorn. See Tiff to dress.] A species of gause, or very silk.
The smoke of sulphur . . . is commonly used by women to whiten
tiffanies.
Sir T. Browne.
Tif"fin (?), n. [Properly, tiffing a quaffing, a drinking. See Tiff,
n.] A lunch, or slight repast between breakfast and dinner; —
originally, a Provincial English word, but introduced into India, and
brought back to England in a special sense.
Tiff"ish (?), a. Inclined to tiffs; peevish; petulant.
Tift (?), n. [Cf. Norw. teft a scent. See Tiff, n.] A fit of
pettishness, or slight anger; a tiff.
After all your fatigue you seem as ready for a tift with me as if you
had newly come from church.
Blackwood's Mag.
Tig (?), n. 1. A game among children. See Tag.
2. A capacious, flat-bottomed drinking cup, generally with four
handles, formerly used for passing around the table at convivial
entertainment.
||Ti*gel"la (?), n. [NL., from F. tige stem or stock.] (Bot.) That part
||of an embryo which represents the young stem; the caulicle or radicle.
||
Ti*gelle" (?), n. [F.] (Bot.) Same as Tigella.
Ti"ger (?), n. [OE. tigre, F. tigre, L. tigris, Gr. ti`gris; probably
of Persian origin; cf. Zend tighra pointed, tighri an arrow, Per. tr;
perhaps akin to E. stick, v.t.; — probably so named from its
quickness.] 1. A very large and powerful carnivore (Felis tigris)
native of Southern Asia and the East Indies. Its back and sides are
tawny or rufous yellow, transversely striped with black, the tail is
ringed with black, the throat and belly are nearly white. When full
grown, it equals or exceeds the lion in size and strength. Called also
royal tiger, and Bengal tiger.