v. Obs. [f. ppl. stem of late L. tertiāre, f. tertius third.]
1. trans. To do anything) for the third time: in quot. 1628, to introduce for the third time or support as third spokesman.
1623. Cockeram, Tertiate, to doe a thing three times.
1628. Wotton, in Reliq. (1672), 559. The Personage that should first, or second or tertiate your business with the King.
1656. Blount, Glossogr., Tertiate … to Till ground, or do any thing the third time [ed. 1674 adds to tri-fallow].
2. Mil. To poise (a lance or pike): cf. TERTIAR.
a. 1691. Boyle, Hist. Air, xix. (1692), 183. They tertiate their Lance,… that is, they poise it in their Hand.
3. Mil. To ascertain the strength of a cannon by measuring its thickness by means of caliper compasses, in three places: see quot. 1704.
1672. J. Roberts, Compl. Canonier, 35. To tertiate a Piece of Ordnance.
1704. J. Harris, Lex. Techn., I. s.v., To Tertiate a Great Gun, is to know the thickness of the Metal at the Touch-hole, the Trunnions, and at the Muzzle.
1828. J. M. Spearman, Brit. Gunner (ed. 2), 393. To tertiate a piece of ordnance, is to examine whether it has the due thickness of metal at the vent, &c.
So † Tertiation.
1658. Phillips, Tertiation,… a dividing into three, also a doing anything the third time.
