/three/ , n.
1. a cardinal number, 2 plus 1.
2. a symbol for this number, as 3 or III.
3. a set of this many persons or things.
4. a playing card, die face, or half of a domino face with three pips.
adj.
5. amounting to three in number.
6. three sheets in the wind . See sheet 2 (def. 2).
[ bef. 900; ME; OE threo, thrio, fem. and neut. of thri ( e ); c. D drie, G drei, ON thrir, Goth threis, Gk treîs, L tres three, ter thrice, Ir trí, OCS tri, Skt tri, tráyas ]