Meaning

(obsolete) A third..

Definitions by Sense

1. (obsolete) A third.
2. (religion, Roman Catholicism) Synonym of terce: the third canonical hour or its service.
3. (now historical) A cask of a certain size, or its volume used as a measure of capacity. Larger than a barrel but smaller than a hogshead.
4. (music) The third tone of the scale. See mediant.
5. (card games) A sequence of three playing cards of the same suit. Tierce of ace, king and queen is called tierce-major.
6. (fencing) The third defensive position, with the sword hand held at waist height, and the tip of the sword at head height.
7. (heraldry) An ordinary that covers the left or right third of the field of a shield or flag.
8. (obsolete) One sixtieth of a second, i.e., the third in a series of fractional parts in a sexagesimal number system. (Also known as a third.)

Example Sentences

He then gave me a large piece of silver coin, such as I never had seen or had before, and told me to get ready for the voyage, and he would credit me with a tierce of sugar, and another of rum […].

Have an eye to the molasses tierce, Mr. Stubb; it was a little leaky, I thought.

Again, by 28 Hen. VIII, cap. 14, it is re-enacted that the tun of wine should contain 252 gallons, a butt of Malmsey 126 gallons, a pipe 126 gallons, a tercian or puncheon 84 gallons, a hogshead 63 gallons, a tierce 41 gallons, a barrel 31.5 gallons, a rundlet 18.5 gallons.

[W]e behold two men with lion-look, with alert attitude, side foremost, right foot advanced; flourishing and thrusting, stoccado and passado, in tierce and quart; intent to skewer one another.

Word Forms

• tierces

Synonyms for tierce

Related Words

When Should You Use Tierce?

Use tierce when its meaning, tone and grammar fit the full sentence. A synonym is not always a direct replacement.

Practice This Word

Frequently Asked Questions