trice Meaning & Definition

Synonyms of Trice

Antonyms of Trice

Trice in a Sentence

it's just a scrape on the knee—we'll have you fixed up in a trice

Word Forms & Grammar

trice

trices

triced

tric·ing

tricing

trice (third-person singular simple present trices, present participle tricing, simple past and past participle triced)

trice (plural trices)

Words That Rhyme With Trice

Origin of Trice

Origin 1: Middle English trise, literally, pull, from trisen

Origin 2: Middle English trisen, tricen to pull, trice, from Middle Dutch trisen to hoist, from trise windlass

Origin 3: From Middle English trīcen, trice, trise (“to pull or push; to snatch away; to steal”), from Middle Dutch trīsen (“to hoist”)[1] (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”).[2]

Origin 4: From Middle English trīce, trise, in the phrase at a trīce (“with a single, quick motion; at once”, literally “with a pull or jerk”), later also in the phrases in a trice, on a trice, and with a trice. The word is ultimately from Middle English trīcen: see etymology 1 above.[3]

Origin 5: From Middle English trīce, tryys, tryyst, from Middle Dutch trīse, trijs (modern Dutch trijs (“hoisting-block, pulley, windlass”)) or Middle Low German trīsse, trītse (“hoisting-rope, tackle”);[4] probably related to the verb trice (see etymology 1 above), and perhaps to Old English tryndel (“roller, wheel”) (see further at trend, trindle). The English word is cognate with Danish tridse, trisse (“pulley”), Low German trissel (“dizziness; whirling”), German trieze (“crane; pulley”), Norwegian triss (“pulley”), Swedish trissa (“pulley, truckle”).[5]

First Known Use

15th century