Background for tierce

tierce

/ˈtɜːs/ /ˈtɪɚs/

Illustration tierce - Image 1

noun

The third hour of daylight (about 9 am).

Examples :

"The monks began their morning prayers at tierce. "

Illustration tierce - Image 1

noun

The service appointed for this hour.

Examples :

"The monks gathered in the chapel for tierce, the service scheduled for mid-morning. "

religion time service

Illustration tierce - Image 1

noun

A widow's right, where she has no conventional provision, to a liferent of a third of the husband's heritable property.

Examples :

"After her husband's sudden death and with no will to provide for her, Mary relied on her tierce, receiving a lifetime income from one-third of the family's farmland. "

property law right family

Illustration tierce - Image 1

noun

Examples :

"The students were divided into three groups; my friend ended up in the tierce. "

Illustration tierce - Image 1

noun

A measure of capacity equal to a third of a pipe, or a cask or other vessel holding such a quantity; a cask larger than a barrel, and smaller than a hogshead or a puncheon, in which wine or salt provisions, rice, etc., are packed for shipment.

Examples :

"The merchant ordered several tierces of salt beef to be loaded onto the ship for its voyage to the Caribbean. "

nautical business commerce

Illustration tierce - Image 1

noun

The third tone of the scale. See mediant.

Examples :

"The melody climbed confidently to the tierce, giving the simple tune a pleasant lift. "

Illustration tierce - Image 1

noun

A sequence of three playing cards of the same suit. Tierce of ace, king and queen is called tierce-major.

Examples :

""Holding the ace, king, and queen of hearts, he had a tierce-major and a very strong hand in the card game." "

game number entertainment

Illustration tierce - Image 1

noun

The third defensive position, with the sword hand held at waist height, and the tip of the sword at head height.

Examples :

"The fencing instructor demonstrated the tierce, explaining how the arm should be held steady and the sword pointed upward. "

position sport military weapon

Illustration tierce - Image 1

noun

An ordinary that covers the left or right third of the field of a shield or flag.

Examples :

"The heraldic flag showed a golden lion on a blue field, with a red tierce covering the left side. "

Illustration tierce - Image 1

noun

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.)

Examples :

"The precise timing system measured the event down to a tierce, ensuring accuracy in the experiment. "

time math unit number technical