tierce

[ teers ]

noun

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 []. Ecclesiastical. 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 major, or a king, queen, and jack tierce minor.
6. Obsolete. a third or third part.

tierce

/ tɪəs /

noun

1. a variant of terce
2. the third of eight basic positions from which a parry or attack can be made in fencing
3. tɜːs cards a sequence of three cards in the same suit
4. an obsolete measure of capacity equal to 42 wine gallons

Word History and Origins

Origin of tierce¹

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English, from Middle French, feminine of tiers, from Latin tertius “third”; third

Word History and Origins

Origin of tierce¹

C15: from Old French, feminine of tiers third, from Latin tertius

Example Sentences

You strike high tierce like lightning and your blade is back in guard—oh yes!

From Project Gutenberg

And he killed him with a beautiful feint and thrust in tierce.

From Project Gutenberg

Occasionally they bought a cask—a tierce of forty-two gallons—and bottled it at home.

From Project Gutenberg

At tierce they are rung three times, for the second, third, and fourth hours which are then chanted.

From Project Gutenberg

This letter announced a small barrel of biscuit, a tierce of wine, a half tierce of brandy, and a Dutch cheese.

From Project Gutenberg