trice

1 of 2

noun

: a brief space of time : instant
used chiefly in the phrase in a trice

trice

2 of 2

verb

triced; tricing

transitive verb

: to haul up or in and lash or secure (something, such as a sail) with a small rope

Examples of trice in a Sentence

Noun it's just a scrape on the knee—we'll have you fixed up in a trice
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
In a trice, he’s done one, two, eight, and 10. James Vincent, The Verge, 16 Jan. 2023 Braking in corners, over elevation changes, or when crossing irregularities has little effect on your direction of travel, and your rate of travel can be halved or eliminated in a trice. Larry Griffin, Car and Driver, 3 Feb. 2023 At least a hundred people died in that one, including 15 who were standing on bridges marveling at the rush of waters when, in a trice, the waters tore away the bridges. Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2022 The precarious bridges, as conventional wisdom goes, could be cut down in a trice, leaving enemies stymied. Selena Takigawa Hoy, Travel + Leisure, 21 June 2021 In a trice, the amicability recedes to approximately the level of the battle of Verdun. Kyle Smith, National Review, 8 Oct. 2019 One side of the balance-sheet is hard-to-sell loans; the other side is deposits that can be withdrawn in a trice. The Economist, 11 July 2019 The problem is fixed in a trice, and the show goes on without a hitch. David Kirby, WSJ, 17 Jan. 2019 The process takes a whole morning and a good part of the afternoon, but the breads themselves disappear in a trice, said Buffington. Janice Steinhagen, Courant Community, 7 Mar. 2018

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English trise, literally, pull, from trisen

Verb

Middle English trisen, tricen to pull, trice, from Middle Dutch trisen to hoist, from trise windlass

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of trice was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near trice

Cite this Entry

“Trice.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trice. Accessed 12 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

trice

noun
ˈtrīs
: a brief space of time : instant
used chiefly in the phrase in a trice

More from Merriam-Webster on trice

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!