a. Bot. [f. mod.L. ternāt-us TERNATE (after Greek combining forms in -o) + PINNATE.] Applied to a compound leaf having three pinnate divisions proceeding from a common petiole.
1857. Henfrey, Bot., 60. What are called biternate and triternate compound leaves are in most cases pinnate leaves with unijugate and terminal leaflets. Such leaves should perhaps be called ternato-pinnate or bi-ternato-pinnate, &c.
