tri-
English
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /tɹaɪ/
Audio (US): (file)
Etymology 1
| PIE word |
|---|
| *tréyes |
From Latin tri- (“three”) and Ancient Greek τρι- (tri-, “three”).
Prefix
| 3 | Previous: | bi- |
|---|---|---|
| Next: | quadri- |
| 3 | Previous: | di- duo- |
|---|---|---|
| Next: | tessara- tetra- |
tri-
- Three.
- Synonym: ter-
- (chemistry) Used for the digit three to form systematic element names of elements whose existence has been predicted, and which have not yet been given a trivial name.
Derived terms
Related terms
Translations
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Etymology 2
From Sanskrit त्रि (tri, “three”).
Prefix
tri-
- (chemistry) Used in combination with a known element name (e.g. 'tri-silicon', 'tri-lead') to designate an unknown element that would reside three periods lower than the known element on a Mendeleev-type periodic table. See Mendeleev's predicted elements.
Related terms
See also
Anagrams
Catalan
Etymology
Prefix
tri-
Derived terms
Danish
Etymology
From Latin tri- (“three”) and Ancient Greek τρι- (tri-, “three”).
Prefix
tri-
Derived terms
References
- “tri-” in Den Danske Ordbog
Dutch
Pronunciation
Audio: (file)
Prefix
tri-
Finnish
Etymology
Internationalism (see English tri-), ultimately from Latin tri-.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈtri-/, [ˈt̪ri-]
Prefix
tri-
Usage notes
The prefix tri- is mainly used in the names of chemical compounds, e.g. trikloorifluorimetaani or in words that have been loaned from other languages with the tri- prefix already there, e.g. trigonometria, trikolori. For other words, the prefix kolmi-, which is derived from the Finnish word kolme (“three”) is preferred.
Derived terms
- triadi
- triangeli
- triedri
- trieeri
- triennaali
- triforio
- triftongi
- triglyfi
- trigoninen
- trigonometria
- trikarboksyylihappo
- trikloorietyleeni
- trikolori
- triljoona
- trilobiitti
- trilogia
- trimetri
- trimorfinen
- trimorfismi
- trinitaarinen
- trinitrofenoli
- trinomi
- triodi
- trioksidi
- trioli
- trioosi
- triplata
- tripleksilasi
- tripletti
- trippeliallianssi
- triptyykki
- trireemi
- tritium
- triumviraatti
- triumviri
- triviaali
- trivium
French
Prefix
tri-
Related terms
See also
German
Etymology
Ultimately from Latin tri- and Ancient Greek τρι- (tri-, “three”).
Pronunciation
Prefix
tri-
- tri- (three)
Derived terms
Further reading
- “tri-” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
Indonesian
Etymology
From Malay tri-, from tri, from Sanskrit त्रि (tri), from Proto-Indo-Iranian, from Proto-Indo-European *tréyes.
| Previous: | dwi- |
|---|---|
| Next: | catur- |
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /tri/, [t̪ri]
Prefix
tri-
Derived terms
Italian
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /tri/
- Hyphenation: tri-
Prefix
tri-
Derived terms
Related terms
Anagrams
Latin
Etymology
Combining form of trēs (“three”, cardinal numeral).
Pronunciation
- (Classical Latin) IPA(key): [ˈtrɪ]
- (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA(key): [ˈtriː]
Prefix
tri-
Derived terms
Descendants
- English: tri-
Malay
| < 2 | 3 | 4 > |
|---|---|---|
| Cardinal : tri- | ||
Etymology
From tri, from Sanskrit त्रि (tri), from Proto-Indo-Iranian, from Proto-Indo-European *tréyes.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /təri/
Prefix
tri- (Jawi spelling تريـ)
Portuguese
Etymology 1
Internationalism (see English tri-), ultimately from Latin tri-.
Prefix
tri-
Derived terms
Etymology 2
Possibly borrowed from French très.
Prefix
tri-
- (Rio Grande do Sul, colloquial) superior in quality or degree; super-
See also
Further reading
- “tri-”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026
- “tri-”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026
Spanish
Etymology
From Latin tri- (“three”) and Ancient Greek τρι- (tri-, “three”).
Prefix
tri-
Derived terms
Further reading
- “tri-”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025
Swedish
Prefix
tri-