tern

adj

Etymology: PIE word *tréyes The noun is derived from Late Middle English terne (“throw of a die or dice showing the number three”), from Old French terne (“gathering of three people; trinity”) (modern French terne), from Latin ternās, the accusative feminine plural of ternī (“three each; three at a time”), from ter (“thrice”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *tréyes (“three”)) + -ī (from -us (suffix forming adjectives)). The adjective is either derived from the noun, or directly from Latin ternī (“three each; three at a time”); see above.

1. Consisting of three components; ternate, threefold, triple.

   “tern flowers    tern leaves”

   “a tern schooner, one with three masts”

name

1. A river in Shropshire, England, which joins the Severn at Atcham; in full, the River Tern.

noun

Etymology: PIE word *tréyes The noun is derived from Late Middle English terne (“throw of a die or dice showing the number three”), from Old French terne (“gathering of three people; trinity”) (modern French terne), from Latin ternās, the accusative feminine plural of ternī (“three each; three at a time”), from ter (“thrice”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *tréyes (“three”)) + -ī (from -us (suffix forming adjectives)). The adjective is either derived from the noun, or directly from Latin ternī (“three each; three at a time”); see above.

1. A thing with three components; a set of three things.
2. A thing with three components; a set of three things.

   “And yet, now even, if Madonna willed, / She'd win a tern in Thursday's lottery, / And better all things.”