three

American  

[three] / θri /

noun

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.

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adjective

1. amounting to three in number.

idioms

1. three sheets in the wind. sheet.

three British  

/ θriː /

noun

1. the cardinal number that is the sum of two and one and is a prime number See also number

2. a numeral, 3, III, (iii), representing this number

3. the amount or quantity that is one greater than two

4. something representing, represented by, or consisting of three units such as a playing card with three symbols on it

5. Also called: three o'clock.  three hours after noon or midnight

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determiner

1. 1. amounting to three

      three ships

   2. ( as pronoun )

      three were killed

Etymology

Origin of three

First recorded before 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

Example Sentences

Robinson has led his county to three wins from five matches, taking 17 wickets and scoring an impressive century against Surrey on the way.

From BBC • May 13, 2026

Tuz said while they recognize the market has gone up a lot, especially for certain industry groups, they have about three or four sell triggers.

From MarketWatch • May 13, 2026

Figures released Wednesday showed the number of people in work rose again in the first three months of 2026, by 172,000, supporting a modest increase in economic output.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 13, 2026

“I think you can do those things three to five times faster, at less than 30% the cost,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times • May 13, 2026

A single bench for the three of us?

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith