English Explanatory Dictionary

trice

English dictionary entry

Meanings

verb
  1. To pull, to pull out or away, to pull sharply.
  2. To drag or haul, especially with a rope; specifically (nautical) to haul or hoist and tie up by means of a rope.
noun
  1. Now only in the phrase in a trice: a very short time; the blink of an eye, an instant, a moment.
noun
  1. A pulley, a windlass (“form of winch for lifting heavy weights, comprising a cable or rope wound around a cylinder”).
name
  1. A surname.

Pronunciation

/tɹaɪs/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-trice.wav

Word forms

trice trices tricing triced trise

Etymology

From Middle English trīcen, trice, trise (“to pull or push; to snatch away; to steal”), from Middle Dutch trīsen (“to hoist”) (modern Dutch trijsen) or Middle Low German trissen (“to trice the spritsail”); further etymology uncertain. The word is cognate with Danish trisse, tridse (“to haul with a pulley”), Low German trissen, tryssen, drisen, drysen (“to wind up, trice”), German trissen, triezen (“to annoy or torment”).

Synonyms

instant jiffy bat of an eye bit blink of an eye crack eyeblink flash glimpse half a mo jiff jot minute mo moment New York minute New York second no time sec second span split-second spurt stound tick trice twink twinkle twinkling while

Derived words

trice up
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