trice

UK: /ˈtraɪs/ US: (trīs)

Inflections of 'trice' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

trices

v 3rd person singular

tricing

v pres p

triced

v past

triced

v past p

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

trice¹ (trīs), n. 

1. a very short time;
   an instant:
   in a trice.

• 1400–50; late Middle English tryse; probably special use of *trise a pull, tug, derivative of trisen, to pull; see trice²

trice² (trīs),  v.t., triced, tric•ing. [Naut.]

1. to pull or haul with a rope.
2. to haul up and fasten with a rope (usually fol. by up).

• Middle Dutch trīsen to hoist, derivative of trīse pulley
• Middle English trisen 1350–1400

-trice, 

1. var. of -trix.

• Latin -trīcem, accusative of -trīx -trix
• French or Italian -trice

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

trice / traɪs/ noun

1. moment; instant (esp in the phrase in a trice)

Etymology: 15th Century (in the phrase at or in a trice, in the sense: at one tug): apparent substantive use of trice²

trice / traɪs/ verb

1. (transitive) often followed by up: to haul up or secure

Etymology: 15th Century: from Middle Dutch trīsen, from trīse pulley