Middle English Dictionary Entry
thrīce adv.
Entry Info
| Forms | thrīce adv. Also thris(e, thrisse, thries(e, thriez, thriȝes, thrius, threis, thres, (Orm.) þriȝȝes(s & (error) þryþes. |
| Etymology | From thrī(e adv. & -es suf.(1). |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Three times, thrice; on three occasions; twies or ~, a few times; (b) with qualifying phrase: ~ a dai, ~ on the dai, etc., three times a day; ~ in a weke, three times a week; ~ that yer, ~ bi (in) the yer, etc., three times a year; (c) arith. multiplied by three; (d) ~ double, very great, extraordinary; ~ so muche, three times as much.
Associated quotations
a
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)1149 : Crist Badd hise bedess þriȝess.
- a1250 Ancr.(Nero A.14)46/28 : He weop him sulf þries mid his feire eien.
- c1300 Lay.Brut (Otho C.13)13009 : Arthur an þe scuke bi-vrne hit þries.
- a1325(c1280) SLeg.Pass.(Pep 2344)923 : Þou shalt to-niȝt ar cokkes crowe þries fforsake me.
- c1330(?c1300) Bevis (Auch)20/443 : Al þat weren in þe place, Þries a smot him wiþ is mace.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Num.22.32 : Þryes þou hast beete þyn asse.
- (?1387) Wimbledon Serm.(Corp-C 357)102/654 : Y haue þryþes [read: þryes] prayed God þat he schulde go fro me.
- a1400(?c1300) LFMass Bk.(Roy 17.B.17)308 : He..At þo ende sayes sanctus thryese [vr. thryus].
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)5.9 : Phebus..Thries hadde alle with his bemes cleene The snowes molte.
- (?c1447) Paston (EETS)2.336 : More-ovyr þe scherreve hath ben in our tovne threyys with-jn þis thre wekys.
- a1450 Bevis (Cai 175/96)214/208 : For gret ioye..Þryys sche ffyl doun to þe grounde.
- a1450 SLeg.MPChr.(StJ-C B.6)2275 : Seynt Peter hym beþouȝt anon of þat Ihesus hym sede, þat he schulde hym þryȝis forsake.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)2279 : Fall þe so thrise [Dub: thrisse] Þou sall be crouned..for kiddest of þe gamen.
- c1470 Bible F.(Cleve-W q091.92-C468)74/21 : Seint Petir..blissid hem thrice with the signe of þe cros.
- c1475(1392) *MS Wel.564 (Wel 564)69b/a : Boþe þe heedis of þilke senewis schulden be þries touchid wiþ þin instrument.
- a1475 *Sidrak & B.(Lnsd 793)4247 : Men shal hir warne twise or þrise.
b
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)35/11 : Hi wylleþ rekeny tuyes oþer þries þet yer.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)2 Par.8.13 : Salamon offrede brente sacrifises..þries bi þe ȝeer.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)155b/a : Also in tracodicide is a laye..þryes a day bitter and so ofte fresshe and swete.
- ?a1425 *MS Htrn.95 (Htrn 95)113b/a : Putte þerin þre dropes..in þe sore þries on þe daie.
- ?c1430(c1383) Wycl.Leaven Pharisees (Corp-C 296)6 : Onys or þries in þe ȝeer.
- a1450 Liber Cophonis (Add 34111)45/326 : Þow shalt clense hym..ȝif ij or þris vpon þe day electuarium ducis.
- a1450 Treat.Horses (Sln 2584)107/296 : With þat anoynte þe hors twies or þries on þe day.
- c1450 Form Excom.(3) (Dc 60)104/2 : The gret sentence y write here..twies or thries in the yere þou shalt pronounce withoute lette.
- (a1460) Paston2.97 : Summe men seyn þat he schuld pasturen þere..onys in a weke, and summe seyn twyes or thries in a weke.
- a1500(a1450) Ashmole SSecr.(Ashm 396)39/14 : Vse this not oft: but twyes or thryes in a yere.
c
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)11193 : Tale off þrittiȝ filleþþ rihht Þe tale off þriȝȝess tene.
- (c1387-95) Chaucer CT.Prol.(Manly-Rickert)A.576 : Of maistres hadde he mo than thries ten That weren of lawe expert and curious.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)327b/a : Oon is twies conteyned in tweyne & þries in þre.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)429 : Þryez fyfty þe flod..Uche hille watz þer hidde.
- c1465(?1373) *Lelamour Macer (Sln 5)6a : Take an vnce of betayne and þryse xx penywigt of olde wyne.
- ?c1450(a1388) Wallingford Exafrenon (Dgb 67)199 : Three houres contenes 45 grees of the equinoctiale, for 15 grees makis evermore an howre in rysinge of the equinoctial, and 45 ar thris 15, therfore I write in my stone 45 grees.
- c1475 Wisd.(Folg V.a.354)646 : More þan I take spende I threys thre.
- a1500(c1410) Dives & P.(Htrn 270)1.284 : Thryys two is sexe.
d
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)36/8 : Þanne wyle he zelle þe derrer tuyes oþer þries zuo moche þane þet þing by worþ.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)162/3 : There was this many knyghtes that overmacched sir Gawayne for all his thryse double myght.
2.
As noun: (a) a third time; at ~, three times; (b) the ~, the multiplier thrice; (c) the word 'thrice'.
Associated quotations
a
- ?a1425 *MS Htrn.95 (Htrn 95)95b/a : Þu schalt meddel wiþ euerye drauȝte as moche pouder as þu maye take vppe with þi þre fingers at þries.
- a1450 Diseases Women(2) (Sln 2463)116 : Ley that to þe enpostume a twyes or thryes and remene a day.
- a1400 Siege Jerus.(1) (LdMisc 656)187 : Nempne þe trinyte by name..at þries.
b
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)11194 : Forr tale off þrittiȝ filleþþ rihht Þe tale off þriȝȝess tene; Þe þriȝȝes tacneþþ Drihhtin Godd Inn hiss hallȝhe Þrimmnesse.
c
- ?c1425 Craft Number.(Eg 2622)21/16 : On is betokened be an aduerbe, þe quych is þe worde 'twyes' & þis worde 'thryes'..& so furth of such other lyke wordes.
3.
As adj.: repeated three times.
Associated quotations
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)111b/b : Gouernaunce..is complete with twiez or thriez [Ch.(2): þrefolde] purgacioun in þe ȝere.