<B>three-dimensional, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>having three dimensions. <BR> <I>Ex. The first quality to appreciate in sculpture is its volume or mass--the fact that it is three-dimensional (Sir Herbert Read).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>seeming to have depth as well as height and breadth; appearing to exist in three dimensions; stereoscopic. <BR> <I>Ex. a three-dimensional motion picture.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>(Figurative.) <DD><B> a. </B>real; substantial. <BR> <I>Ex. They [the characters] are less three-dimensional and more abstract in the ballet than in the play (New York Times).</I> <DD><B> b. </B>well-rounded; complete; solid. <BR> <I>Ex. a three-dimensional study of a problem.</I> <DD> Also, <B>third-dimensional,</B> <B>tridimensional.</B> adv. <B>three-dimensionally.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="threedimensionality">
<B>three-dimensionality, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the condition or quality of being three-dimensional. Also, <B>tridimensionality.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="threedimensionalsound">
<B>three-dimensional sound,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> sound by stereophonic reproduction. </DL>
<A NAME="threefold">
<B>threefold, </B>adjective, adverb, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>adj. </I> <B>1. </B>three times as much or as many. (SYN) treble. <DD><B> 2. </B>having three parts. <DD><I>adv. </I> in a threefold manner; trebly; triply. <DD><I>noun </I> three times as much or as many; three. <BR> <I>Ex. to increase by threefold.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="threefour">
<B>three-four, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Music.) with three quarter notes in a measure or bar. <BR> <I>Ex. three-four time.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="threeislandship">
<B>three-island ship,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a general cargo ship having a raised forecastle, bridge, and poop. </DL>
<A NAME="threeleggedrace">
<B>three-legged race,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a race run by couples, the right leg of one person being bound to the left leg of the other. </DL>
<A NAME="threelinewhip">
<B>three-line whip,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (British.) the strongest form of directive issued by a political party to its members to attend a parliamentary debate. It is underlined three times to emphasize its urgency. </DL>
<A NAME="threemaster">
<B>three-master, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a ship having three masts. </DL>
<A NAME="threemilelimit">
<B>three-mile limit,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> the distance from the shore that, according to international law, is included within the jurisdiction of the country possessing the coast. </DL>
<A NAME="threeofakind">
<B>three of a kind,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> three cards of the same rank, such as three aces. </DL>
<A NAME="threeparttime">
<B>three-part time,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (Music.) three beats, or a multiple of three beats, to the measure. </DL>
<A NAME="threepence">
<B>threepence, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>three British old pennies; three pence. <DD><B> 2. </B>a British coin of this value, worth about 3 cents. It is no longer legal tender. Also, <B>thrippence.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="threepenny">
<B>threepenny, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>worth, costing, or amounting to threepence. <DD><B> 2. </B>(Figurative.) of little worth; cheap; paltry. </DL>
<A NAME="threepennybit">
<B>threepenny bit</B> or <B>piece,</B> <B>=threepence.</B></DL>
<A NAME="threephase">
<B>three-phase, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>of or having to do with a combination of three electric currents caused by alternating electromotive forces differing in phase by one third of a cycle (120 degrees). <DD><B> 2. </B>having three phases. </DL>
<A NAME="threepiece">
<B>three-piece, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> having three pieces. A three-piece suit has trousers, jacket, and vest (for men), or skirt, jacket, and topcoat (for women). </DL>
<A NAME="threeply">
<B>three-ply, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> having three thicknesses, layers, folds, or strands. </DL>
<A NAME="threepointlanding">
<B>three-point landing,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a landing of an aircraft at an angle with the ground that is the same as that of the craft when at rest on the ground. </DL>
<A NAME="3pointline">
<B>3-point line,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a line drawn on a basketball court beyond which a player making a field goal scores three points. </DL>
<A NAME="threeport">
<B>three-port, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> of or having to do with a type of two-cycle internal-combustion engine having three ports for the intake, transfer, and exhaust. </DL>
<A NAME="threequarter">
<B>three-quarter, </B>adjective, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>adj. </I> consisting of or involving three quarters of a whole. A three-quarter portrait usually shows three quarters of the figure. <DD><I>noun </I> <B>=three-quarter back.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="threequarterback">
<B>three-quarter back,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (Rugby.) one of the four backs whose normal position is in front of the fullback and behind the halfbacks. </DL>
<A NAME="threequarterbinding">
<B>three-quarter binding,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a style of bookbinding in which the same material is used for the back, about one third of each cover, and sometimes the corners, the remainder of the covers having different material. </DL>
<A NAME="threequarterbound">
<B>three-quarter-bound, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> (of a book) bound in three-quarter binding. </DL>
<A NAME="threeringcircus">
<B>three-ring circus,</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a very large circus that has three rings in which separate acts can be presented at the same time. <DD><B> 2. </B>(Informal, Figurative.) any activity or undertaking having a great variety of things going on at the same time. </DL>
<A NAME="threers">
<B>three R's,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> reading, writing, and arithmetic. </DL>
<A NAME="threescore">
<B>threescore, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> three times twenty; 60. </DL>
<A NAME="threesome">
<B>threesome, </B>noun, adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>a group or set of three people. <DD><B> 2a. </B>a game or match played by three people. <DD><B> b. </B>(Golf.) a match of three players using only two balls in which one player plays against the other two, each of whom takes alternate strokes at the second ball. <DD><B> c. </B>the players. <DD><I>adj. </I> consisting or composed of three; performed by three together; threefold; triple. </DL>
<A NAME="threesquare">
<B>three-square, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> having three equal sides; equilaterally triangular. </DL>
<A NAME="threetoedsloth">
<B>three-toed sloth,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a variety of sloth with three toes on each foot; ai. </DL>
<A NAME="threetoedwoodpecker">
<B>three-toed woodpecker,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> either of two woodpeckers of northern North America that lack the inner hind toe and have a yellow crown. </DL>
<A NAME="threeway">
<B>three-way, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>going three ways; extending in three directions. <BR> <I>Ex. a three-way relationship.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>consisting of or involving three persons or groups. <BR> <I>Ex. a three-way race for Congress. A three-way partnership would be unusual (New York Times).</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>used in three ways or for three purposes. <BR> <I>Ex. "Three-way grapes" ... are used as fresh table grapes, as wine grapes, and for raisins (L. E. Davies).</I> <DD><B> 4. </B>providing three degrees of illumination. <BR> <I>Ex. a three-way electric bulb.</I> <DD><B> 5. </B>having to do with or designating a valve or cock with one inlet and two alternative outlets. </DL>
<A NAME="threewheeler">
<B>three-wheeler, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a tricycle or other vehicle running on three wheels. </DL>
<A NAME="threewisemen">
<B>Three Wise Men,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> three men who came from the East to honor the infant Jesus; the Magi. In medieval legend they became three kings, named Gaspar (or Kaspar), Melchior, and Balthasar. </DL>
<A NAME="thremmatology">
<B>thremmatology, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the science of breeding or propagating animals and plants under domestication. </DL>
<A NAME="threnetic">
<B>threnetic, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> having to do with a threnody; mournful. </DL>
<B>threnodist, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the composer of a threnody. <BR> <I>Ex. Peace, then, rhetoricians, false threnodists of false liberty! (Thomas De Quincey).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="threnody">
<B>threnody, </B>noun, pl. <B>-dies.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a song of lamentation, especially at a person's death; dirge. <BR> <I>Ex. Cyrus Sulzberger's "My Brother Death" is a profoundly moving threnody on man's fate (New York Times).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="threonine">
<B>threonine, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a crystalline amino acid considered essential to human nutrition. It is a product of the hydrolysis of proteins. </DL>
<A NAME="thresh">
<B>thresh, </B>verb, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>v.t. </I> <B>1. </B>to separate the grain or seeds from (wheat, rye, or other grain); thrash. <BR> <I>Ex. Nowadays most farmers use a machine to thresh their wheat.</I> (SYN) sift. <DD><B> 2. </B>to toss about; move violently; thrash. <DD><I>v.i. </I> <B>1. </B>to thresh grain. <DD><B> 2. </B>to toss about; move violently; thrash. <DD><I>noun </I> the act of threshing. <BR><I>expr. <B>thresh out,</B> </I>(Figurative.) to settle by thorough discussion; thrash out. <BR> <I>Ex. All this could have been threshed out in private, without a court of inquiry (Maclean's).</I> <BR><I>expr. <B>thresh over,</B> </I>(Figurative.) to go over again and again; thrash over. <BR> <I>Ex. They threshed over the problem all night long.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="thresher">
<B>thresher, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a person or thing that threshes. <DD><B> 2. </B>a machine for threshing; threshing machine. <DD><B> 3. </B>a large shark of the Atlantic, with a very long, curved tail; thrasher; thrasher shark. It supposedly beats the water with its tail to round up the small fish on which it feeds. </DL>
<B>threshing machine,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a machine used for separating the grain or seeds from the stalks and other parts of wheat, rye, or other grain; thresher. </DL>
