thrice, adv.
(θraɪs)
Forms: α. 3 (Orm.) þriȝess, 3–5 þries, thryese, 4 þryys, 4–5 thries, 4–6 thryes, -is, 5 threes, threies, thryess, 6 Sc. thryiss. β. 4 þrys, þriis, thrijs, 4–5 thrys, threys, 4–6 thris, 4–7 thrise, thryse, 5 thrisse, 5–6 thryss, 7 thryce, 6– thrice.
[ME. þriȝes, þriës, þryës, f. þrië, þryë, thrie + -s of advb. genitive, after ME. anes, ones, once: cf. twice.
From c 1600 spelt thrice, to indicate the long vowel and the breath sound of s, as in dice, mice, nice, twice, etc.]
1. Three times (in succession); on three successive occasions.
| c 1200 Ormin 1149 Ure Laferrd..Badd hise bedess þriȝess. a 1225 Ancr. R. 106 He weop himsulf þries mid his feire eien. c 1275 Lay. 26066 And so Arthur..bi-vrne hit þries [c 1205 þreie]. a 1300 Cursor M. 20973 (Cott.) Paule..Scipbreging he suffurd thrise [v.rr. þries, thrijs]. c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. Wace (Rolls) 11340 Was þer no knyght of so hey blod..Þat þer fore scholde be holde in pris, But he in dede were proued þrys. 1350–1400 Sir Beues (MS. E.) 4313 + 208 Þryys sche ffyl doun to þe grounde. c 1375 Lay Folks Mass Bk. (MS. B.) 308 At þo ende [he] sayes sanctus thryese. c 1400 Mandeville (Roxb.) xi. 45 Þare denyed Petre oure Lord thryess. a 1400–50 Alexander 2279 Þus fall þou thrisse. c 1400 Brut cxciv. 214 [He] felle adoun..and þries [1480 Caxton thryes] cussede þe grounde. 1425 in Entick London (1766) IV. 354 Threies seaven Ave Marias, with xv Pater Nosters and thre credes. a 1450 Knt. de la Tour (1906) 85 The king sent vnto her onis, tuyes, thries, and she denied not to come. 1456 Sir G. Haye Law Arms (S.T.S.) 170 Israel was discomfyte twys, or thris. 1548–9 (Mar.) Bk. Com. Prayer, Baptism, Namyng the childe, [he] shall dyppe it in the water thryse. a 1550 Freiris of Berwik 356 in Dunbar's Poems (S.T.S.) 297 He turnit him abowt Weill thryiss. 1563–7 Buchanan Reform. St. Andros Wks. (1892) 16 Twyss or thryis in the ȝeir. 1611 Bible Mark xiv. 30 Before the cocke crowe twise, thou shalt deny me thrise [Tind. thryse]. 1732 Arbuthnot Rules of Diet in Aliments, etc. 418 A Spoonful or two of Canary Wine twice or thrice a day. 1842 Borrow Bible in Spain xxxiv. (Pelh. Libr.) 246 Though I left it thrice, it was of my own free will. |
2. Three times as much as (in number, amount, or value). Often vaguely or hyperbolically: Many times (as much).
Usually preceding a numeral, or const. with as, or with comparative (now rare or obs.).
| a 1300 Cursor M. 430 Angels..Þat suld of ordres haf thris thre. 1427 in 10th Rep. Hist. MSS. Comm. App. v. 295 Threes as much as he..shall losse. c 1460 Wisdom 649 in Macro Plays 56 More þan I take, spende I threys iij. 1528 in Exch. Rolls Scotl. XV. 666 Bot giff the personis..be vailȝeand in gudis wortht thryss the gudis at ar pundit. 1552 Huloet, Thrise as muche, triplaris, e. c 1600 Shakes. Sonn. lvi. 14 Which..Makes Sommers welcome thrice more wish'd, more rare. 1605 1st Pt. Ieronimo (1901) i. i, I haue a hart thrice stronger then my years. a 1771 Gray Death Hoel 12 Thrice two hundred warriors. 1849 Macaulay Hist. Eng. iii. I. 344 A sum more than thrice as great as the whole income of the English crown in 1685. 1859 Tennyson Geraint & Enid 557 With some surprise and thrice as much disdain. |
† b. In three manners or respects. Obs.
| 1607–12 Bacon Ess., Great Place (Arb.) 278 Men in great place, are thrice seruauntes; Servauntes of the Sovereigne, or State, Servauntes of fame, and seruauntes of businesse. |
3. Combined with a pa. pple., forming an attrib. phrase or compound adj. (in senses 1 and 2).
| 1508 Kennedie Flyting w. Dunbar 30 Thryse scheild [? sealed] trumpir. 1600 Shakes. A.Y.L. iii. ii. 2 Thou thrice crowned Queene of night. 1693 J. Dryden in D.'s Juvenal xiv. (1697) 353 A Dish Of thrice-boil'd Beans. 1742 Young Nt. Th. iv. 37 Like a thrice-told tale. 1864 Pusey Lect. Daniel v. 283 A hundred millions thrice-told. |
b. Similarly with any adjective, used vaguely or hyperbolically (as in 2): Very, highly, greatly, extremely (cf. L. ter).
| 1579 G. Harvey Letter-bk. (Camden) 60 Howe will my right worshipfull and thrisevenerable masters of Cambridge scorne at the matter? Ibid. 61 Thrishonorable. 1593 Shakes. 2 Hen. VI, iii. ii. 157 This thrice-famed Duke. 1631 Weever Anc. Fun. Mon. 536 This thrice-noble family of the Percies. 1667 Milton P.L. iii. 570 Thrice happy Iles. 1850 Tennyson In Mem. xxxii. 13 Thrice blest whose lives are faithful prayers. |
4. As quasi-adj. Thrice performed; threefold, triple (rare); in first quot. vaguely: Very great.
| 1470–85 Malory Arthur iv. xix. 143 Ther were many knyghtes that ouermatched syr gawayne for alle the thryes myghte that he had. 1600 W. Watson Decacordon (1602) 44 S. Peter..after his relapse with thrise denial and forswearing of him. 1619 Drayton Heroic Ep., E. Cobham to Dk. Humphrey Argt. 9 For which, she her thrice-Penance was assign'd. a 1866 Neale Sequences, Hymns, etc. 21 Till the thrice Confession Blot the thrice Denial out. |