TIERCE


Meaning of TIERCE in English

/tears/ , n.

1. an old measure of capacity equivalent to one third of a pipe, or 42 wine gallons.

2. a cask or vessel holding this quantity.

3. Also, terce . Eccles. the third of the seven canonical hours, or the service for it, originally fixed for the third hour of the day (or 9 A.M.).

4. Fencing. the third of eight defensive positions.

5. Piquet. a sequence of three cards of the same suit, as an ace, king, and queen (tierce major) , or a king, queen, and jack (tierce minor) .

6. Obs. a third or third part.

[ 1325-75; ME tiers tertius THIRD ]

Random House Webster's Unabridged English dictionary.      Полный английский словарь Вебстер - Random House .