| Tierce | n. [ F. tierce a third, from tiers, tierce, third, fr. L. tertius the third; akin to tres three. See Third, Three, and cf. Terce, Tercet, Tertiary. ] 1. A cask whose content is one third of a pipe; that is, forty-two wine gallons; also, a liquid measure of forty-two wine, or thirty-five imperial, gallons. [ 1913 Webster ] 2. A cask larger than a barrel, and smaller than a hogshead or a puncheon, in which salt provisions, rice, etc., are packed for shipment. [ 1913 Webster ] 3. (Mus.) The third tone of the scale. See Mediant. [ 1913 Webster ] 4. A sequence of three playing cards of the same suit. Tierce of ace, king, queen, is called tierce-major. [ 1913 Webster ] 5. (Fencing) A position in thrusting or parrying in which the wrist and nails are turned downward. [ 1913 Webster ] 6. (R. C. Ch.) The third hour of the day, or nine a. m, ; one of the canonical hours; also, the service appointed for that hour. [ 1913 Webster ] [ 1913 Webster ] |
| Tiercelet | { } n. [ OE. tercel, tercelet, F. tiercelet, a dim. of (assumed) tiercel, or LL. tertiolus, dim. fr. L. tertius the third; -- so called, according to some, because every third bird in the nest is a male, or, according to others, because the male is the third part less than female. Cf. Tercel. ] (Falconry) The male of various falcons, esp. of the peregrine; also, the male of the goshawk. Encyc. Brit. [ 1913 Webster ] Variants: Tiercel |
