three

noun

ˈthrē 

1

: a number that is one more than 2 see Table of Numbers

2

: the third in a set or series

the three of hearts

3

a

: something having three units or members

b

: three-pointer

three adjective

three pronoun, plural in construction

Examples of three in a Sentence

“What time is it?” “It's three.”

I leave each day at three.

Recent Examples on the Web

The six-time All-Star became the first player in NBA history to hit 1,500 threes before age 27 and 28, per Jared Weiss of The Athletic. —Bobby Krivitsky, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2025

Jayson Tatum led the Celtics with 27 points (10-for-19, 4-for-9 from three), and Derrick White and Payton Pritchard each scored 18 points and hit five threes. —Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 27 Feb. 2025

When the paint is protected, teams don’t get as many open threes. —Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 26 Feb. 2025

The last time members of a Jayhawk duo each hit 5 or more threes in a game was on Jan. 9, 2018 against Iowa State (Svi Mykhailiuk, 6 and Malik Newman, 5) ... —Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 24 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from three, adjective, from Old English thrīe (masculine), thrēo (feminine & neuter); akin to Old High German drī three, Latin tres, Greek treis

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing three

• best (out) of three/five/seven
• the three R's
• thirty-three
• three-bagger
• three-ball
• three-card monte
• three cheers for
• three-color
• three-cornered
• three-decker
• three-dimensional
• three-gaited
• three-handed
• three-legged
• three-legged race
• three-mile limit
• three of a kind
• three-peat
• three-phase
• three-piece
• three-piece suit
• three-piece suite
• three-ply
• three-pointer
• three-point landing
• three-point line
• three-point turn
• three-quarter
• three-quarter-bound
• three-quarters
• three-ring circus
• three R's
• three sheets in the wind
• three sheets to the wind
• three-spined stickleback
• three-toed sloth
• three-way
• three-wheeler
• two's company, three's a crowd

Rhymes for three

• be
• bee
• bree
• cree
• fee
• flea
• flee
• free
• gee
• ghee
• glee
• he

Kids Definition

three

noun

ˈthrē 

1

: a number that is one more than 2 see number

2

: the third in a set or series

the three of hearts

3

a

: something having three units or members

b

: three-pointer

three adjective or pronoun