three
three
Pronunciation
The IPA phonetic spelling for "three" is /θriː/.
One Syllable:
/θ/ - voiceless dental fricative (as in "thick")
/r/ - alveolar approximant (as in "red")
/iː/ - long close front unrounded vowel (as in "fleece")
Word Form Variations
The word "three" is a cardinal number and an adjective. As such, it does not have singular/plural variations in the way nouns do. It also doesn't typically have comparative or superlative forms.
However, it can be used in different grammatical contexts:
Adjective: "three apples," "the three blind mice"
Noun (referring to the number itself or a group of three): "The number three is odd," "They came in threes."
Determiner: "Three times a charm."
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Adjective
Definition 1: Representing the quantity greater than two but less than four; being the sum of two and one.
Synonyms: triple, threefold
Antonyms: none (as it refers to a specific quantity)
Definition 2: Consisting of three distinct components, parts, or members.
Synonyms: tripartite, triplicate
Antonyms: single, dual, unitary
Noun
Definition 1: The cardinal number equivalent to the sum of two and one; the digit 3.
Synonyms: trinity, trio
Antonyms: none (as it refers to a specific numerical value)
Definition 2: A group or set comprising three individuals or items.
Synonyms: trio, triplet, throuple (informal, specifically for three people in a relationship)
Antonyms: individual, pair, duo
Examples of Use
Books:
"The hobbits had a pleasant journey through the Shire, though they had to stop and eat three elevenses along the way." (J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring)
Newspapers:
"The county council approved a budget increase for public services by a vote of three to one." (Daily Nation)
Online Publications:
"NASA announced that its Perseverance rover successfully collected three new rock samples on Mars this week, bringing its total to over two dozen." (Space.com)
Film:
In Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, Obi-Wan Kenobi famously tells Luke Skywalker, "These are not the droids you're looking for... He can go about his business. Move along." The Stormtrooper then replies, "Move along. Move along." After which Obi-Wan says, "You don't need to see his identification. We don't need his identification." The Stormtrooper replies, "We don't need his identification." Obi-Wan then says, "These aren't the droids you're looking for." This entire exchange involving three lines from Obi-Wan and three lines from the Stormtrooper demonstrates the power of the Force.
Television:
"The contestants faced a challenge to bake a three-tiered cake in under two hours." (From a popular baking competition show)
Music:
The song "Three Little Birds" by Bob Marley and the Wailers repeatedly features the line, "Don't worry about a thing, 'Cause every little thing gonna be alright."
General Public Discourse: "I need three more volunteers for the charity run this Saturday." (Heard in a community meeting, July 2024)
Sports Commentary: "And that's a fantastic three-pointer right there, putting them up by five with seconds left on the clock!" (From a basketball game commentary, April 2024)
10 Quotes Using Three
"There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics." (Mark Twain)
"Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears; I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him. The evil that men do lives after them; The good is oft interred with their bones; So let it be with Caesar. The noble Brutus Hath told you Caesar was ambitious: If it were so, it was a grievous fault, And grievously hath Caesar answer'd it. Here, under leave of Brutus and the rest— For Brutus is an honourable man; So are they all, all honourable men— Come I to speak in Caesar's funeral. He was my friend, faithful and just to me: But Brutus says he was ambitious; And Brutus is an honourable man. He hath brought many captives home to Rome Whose ransoms did the general coffers fill: Did this in Caesar seem ambitious? When that the poor have cried, Caesar hath wept: Ambition should be made of sterner stuff: Yet Brutus says he was ambitious; And Brutus is an honourable man. You all did see that on the Lupercal I thrice presented him a kingly crown, Which he did thrice refuse: was this ambition? Yet Brutus says he was ambitious; And, sure, he is an honourable man. I speak not to disprove what Brutus spoke, But here I am to speak what I do know. You all did love him once, not without cause: What cause withholds you then, to mourn for him? O judgement! thou art fled to brutish beasts, And men have lost their reason. Bear with me; My heart is in the coffin there with Caesar, And I must pause till it come back to me. But yesterday the word of Caesar might Have stood against the world; now lies he there. And none so poor to do him reverence. O masters, if I were disposed to stir Your hearts and minds to mutiny and rage, I should do Brutus wrong, and Cassius wrong, Who, you all know, are honourable men: I will not do them wrong; I rather choose To use what I am, than to wrong such honourable men. But here's a parchment with the seal of Caesar; I found it in his closet; 'tis his will: Let but the commons hear this testament— Which, pardon me, I do not mean to read— And they would go and kiss dead Caesar's wounds And dip their napkins in his sacred blood, Yea, beg a hair of him for memory, And, dying, mention it within their wills, Bequeathing it as a rich legacy Unto their issue." (William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar)
"The three great essentials to achieve anything worthwhile are, first, hard work; second, stick-to-itiveness; third, common sense." (Thomas Edison)
"All good things come in threes." (Proverb)
"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. (Lao Tzu)
"There are only three colors, ten digits, and seven notes; it's what we do with them that's important." (Jim Rohn)
"Life is divided into three terms – that which was, which is, and which will be. Let us learn from the past, live in the present, and prepare for the future." (Helen Keller)
"It takes three generations to make a gentleman." (English Proverb)
"We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea, whether it is to sail or to watch it, we are going back to whence we came." (John F. Kennedy)
"Happiness is having a large, loving, caring, close-knit family in another city." (George Burns)
Etymology
The word "three" comes from a very old root word that was used by people speaking what's called "Proto-Indo-European" – this was a language that existed thousands of years ago and is the ancestor of many languages spoken today, including English, Latin, Greek, and Sanskrit.
This ancient root, often reconstructed as something like "*trei-", simply meant "three." It was one of the earliest words humans used to count beyond "one" and "two."
From this root, the word evolved through different stages:
Proto-Germanic: The ancestor of English and German, where it became something like "*thrijiz."
Old English: The earliest form of English, where it appeared as "þreo" (for feminine and neuter nouns) and "þri" or "þrie" (for masculine nouns).
So, the very first known use and meaning of "three" (or its ancient predecessors) was exactly what it means today: the number that comes after two and before four. It's a fundamental concept that has remained remarkably consistent across many languages and throughout history.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Three
Three sheets to the wind: Very drunk or intoxicated.
Three strikes and you're out: A rule or situation where a person is given three chances to succeed before being dismissed or failing.
Three's a crowd: An expression used when two people would prefer to be alone, and a third person is present.
Rule of three: A principle suggesting that things that come in threes are inherently more humorous, satisfying, or effective.
Third time's the charm: Belief that the third attempt at something will be successful.
Count to three: To take a moment to compose oneself, often to avoid an outburst.
The three R's: Historically referring to Reading, 'Riting (writing), and 'Rithmetic (arithmetic), as fundamental skills taught in education.
A three-ring circus: A chaotic or disorderly situation with many things happening at once.
Three-legged race: A race where two participants have one of their legs tied together.
Put in a triple effort: To exert an exceptionally high amount of effort.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of three from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
