three

UK: /ˈθriː/ US: /θri/ ,(thrē)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

three /θri/   n. [countable]

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.

adj. [before a noun]  

4. amounting to three in number.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

three (thrē),  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. Games 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; Middle English; Old English thrēo, thrīo, feminine and neuter of thrī(e); cognate with Dutch drie, German drei, Old Norse thrīr, Gothic threis, Greek treîs, Latin trēs three, ter thrice, Irish trí, Old Church Slavonic tri, Sanskrit trī, tráyas

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

three / θriː/ noun

1. the cardinal number that is the sum of two and one and is a prime number
   See also number1
2. a numeral, 3, III, (iii), representing this number
3. something representing, represented by, or consisting of three units such as a playing card with three symbols on it
4. Also called: three o'clock three hours after noon or midnight

determiner

1. amounting to three
2. (as pronoun): three were killed

Related adjective(s): ternary, tertiary, treble, triple

Etymology: Old English thrēo; related to Old Norse thrīr, Old High German drī, Latin trēs, Greek treis