three

noun

ˈthrē 

1

: a number that is one more than 2 see Table of Numbers

2

: the third in a set or series

the three of hearts

3

a

: something having three units or members

b

: three-pointer

three adjective

three pronoun, plural in construction

see also:

three sheets in the wind

Examples of three in a Sentence

“What time is it?” “It's three.”

I leave each day at three.

Recent Examples on the Web

And Evan Neal was moved up from the threes to play right guard for backup quarterback Jameis Winston and the twos. — Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 20 Aug. 2026

Wheeler and Burrell opened the second half with back-to-back threes and the Sparks led 52-43 three minutes into the third quarter. — Los Angeles Times, 16 Aug. 2026

Every annual exam pushed my prescription further into negative territory, from just below zero into the ones, then twos, then threes. — E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 15 Aug. 2026

Did anyone watch Kayla McBride drop 10 threes for the Minnesota Lynx and score 43? — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 12 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from three, adjective, from Old English thrīe (masculine), thrēo (feminine & neuter); akin to Old High German drī three, Latin tres, Greek treis

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing three

• best (out) of three/five/seven
• the three R's
• thirty-three
• three-bagger
• three-ball
• three-card monte
• three cheers for
• three-color
• three-cornered
• three-decker
• three-dimensional
• three-gaited
• three-handed
• three-legged
• three-legged race
• three-mile limit
• three of a kind
• three-peat
• three-phase
• three-piece
• three-piece suit
• three-piece suite
• three-ply
• three-pointer
• three-point landing
• three-point line
• three-point turn
• three-quarter
• three-quarter-bound
• three-quarters
• three-ring circus
• three R's
• three sheets in the wind
• three sheets to the wind
• three sisters
• three-spined stickleback
• three-toed sloth
• three-way
• three-wheeler
• two's company, three's a crowd

Rhymes for three

• be
• bee
• bree
• cree
• fee
• flea
• flee
• free
• gee
• ghee
• glee
• he

Kids Definition

three

noun

ˈthrē 

1

: a number that is one more than 2 see number

2

: the third in a set or series

the three of hearts

3

a

: something having three units or members

b

: three-pointer

three adjective or pronoun