<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>
<A NAME="threnetical">
<B>threnetical, </B>adjective. =threnetic.</DL>
<A NAME="threnode">
<B>threnode, </B>noun. =threnody.</DL>
<A NAME="threnodial">
<B>threnodial, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> having to do with or like a threnody. </DL>
<A NAME="threnodic">
<B>threnodic, </B>adjective. =threnodial.</DL>
<A NAME="threnodist">
<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>
<A NAME="threshold">
<B>threshold, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a piece of wood or stone under a door; doorsill. <DD><B> 2. </B>the entrance to a house or building; doorway. <DD><B> 3. </B>(Figurative.) a point of entering; beginning point. <BR> <I>Ex. to be at the threshold of war. The scientist was on the threshold of an important discovery. I was on the threshold of a surprising adventure (W. Somerset Maugham).</I> <DD><B> 4. </B>(Psychology, Physiology.) the point at which a given stimulus begins to be perceptible, or the point at which two stimuli can be differentiated; limen. <BR> <I>Ex. a person with a high threshold of pain.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="threw">
<B>threw, </B>verb.<DL COMPACT><DD> past tense of <B>throw.</B> <BR> <I>Ex. He threw a stone and ran away.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="thrice">
<B>thrice, </B>adverb.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>three times. <BR> <I>Ex. He knocked thrice.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>in threefold quantity or degree. <BR> <I>Ex. The giant was thrice as strong as an ordinary man.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>(Figurative.) very; greatly; extremely. </DL>
<A NAME="thrid">
<B>thrid, </B>verb, <B>thridded,</B> <B>thridding.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (Archaic.) to thread. </DL>
<A NAME="thrift">
<B>thrift, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>absence of waste; saving; economical management; habit of saving. <BR> <I>Ex. By thrift she managed to get along on her small salary. A bank account encourages thrift.</I> (SYN) economy, frugality. <DD><B> 2. </B>any one of a genus of low plants with pink, white, or lavender flowers that grow on mountains and along seashores; statice. <DD><B> 3. </B>vigorous growth, as of a plant. <DD><B> 4. </B>(Archaic or Dialect.) industry; labor; employment. <DD><B> 5. </B>(Obsolete.) prosperity. </DL>
<A NAME="thriftinstitution">
<B>thrift institution,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a savings and loan association, credit union, or similar financial institution that accepts savings. </DL>
<B>thrift shop,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (U.S.) a shop in which second-hand articles in good condition are sold at low prices and usually paid for by the shopkeeper after he has sold them. <BR> <I>Ex. The entire proceeds from the sale of donated articles at the thrift shop have gone to charity (New York Times).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="thrifty">
<B>thrifty, </B>adjective, <B>thriftier,</B> <B>thriftiest.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>careful in spending; economical; saving. <BR> <I>Ex. a thrifty housewife.</I> (SYN) provident, frugal, sparing. <DD><B> 2. </B>thriving; flourishing; vigorous. <BR> <I>Ex. a thrifty plant.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>prosperous; successful. <BR> <I>Ex. The countryside had many fine, thrifty farms.</I> adv. <B>thriftily.</B> noun <B>thriftiness.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="thrill">
<B>thrill, </B>noun, verb.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>a shivering, exciting feeling. <BR> <I>Ex. a thrill of pleasure or fear, the thrill of adventure or discovery. She gets a thrill whenever she sees a parade.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>a vibration or quivering; throbbing; tremor. <DD><B> 3. </B>an abnormal vibration or fine tremor that can be heard with a stethoscope when listening to the heart or lungs. <DD><I>v.t. </I> <B>1. </B>to give a shivering, exciting feeling to. <BR> <I>Ex. Stories of adventure thrilled him.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>to cause to tremble or quiver; make vibrate. <BR> <I>Ex. to thrill the air with music.</I> <DD><I>v.i. </I> <B>1. </B>to have a shivering, exciting feeling. <BR> <I>Ex. The children thrilled with joy at the sight of the parade.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>to tremble; quiver. <BR> <I>Ex. Her voice thrilled with excitement.</I> (SYN) vibrate, throb. </DL>
<A NAME="thriller">
<B>thriller, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a person or thing that thrills. <BR> <I>Ex. For 75 minutes the plane circled. The final landing was a thriller (Time).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>(Informal.) a play, story, or motion picture filled with excitement or suspense. <BR> <I>Ex. There has been no better thriller in London since the war than "Dial M for Murder" (London Times).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="thrillerdiller">
<B>thriller-diller, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Slang.) a sensational story; thriller. </DL>
<A NAME="thrilling">
<B>thrilling, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>affecting with a thrill of emotion. <BR> <I>Ex. wild thrilling sounds (Herman Melville).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>vibrating or quivering. <DD><B> 3. </B>(Obsolete.) piercing. adv. <B>thrillingly.</B> noun <B>thrillingness.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="thrippence">
<B>thrippence, </B>noun. =threepence.</DL>
<A NAME="thrips">
<B>thrips, </B>noun sing. (occasionally plural with singular <B>thrip.</B>)<DL COMPACT><DD> any one of an order of small, narrow, winged or wingless insects. The winged species usually have four narrow wings fringed with hairs. Most varieties are destructive to plants and grains. Some spread virus and fungus. </DL>
<A NAME="thrive">
<B>thrive, </B>intransitive verb, <B>throve</B> or <B>thrived,</B> <B>thrived</B> or <B>thriven,</B> <B>thriving.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>to grow or develop well; grow vigorously. <BR> <I>Ex. Most flowers will not thrive without sunshine.</I> (SYN) flourish. <DD><B> 2. </B>to be successful; grow rich; turn out well; prosper. <BR> <I>Ex. He that would thrive Must rise at five He that hath thriven May lie till seven (John Clarke).</I> (SYN) succeed. adv. <B>thrivingly.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="thriver">
<B>thriver, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a person or thing that thrives. </DL>
<A NAME="thro">
<B>thro'</B> or <B>thro, </B>preposition, adverb, adjective. =through.</DL>
