adv. Forms: α. 3 (Orm.) þriȝess, 34 þries, thryese, 4 þryys, 45 thries, 46 thryes, -is, 5 threes, threies, thryess, 6 Sc. thryiss. β. 4 þrys, þriis, thrijs, 45 thrys, threys, 46 thris, 47 thrise, thryse, 5 thrisse, 56 thryss, 7 thryce, 6 thrice. [ME. þriȝes, þriës, pryës, f. þrië, þryë, THRIE + -s of advb. genitive, after ME. anes, ones, ONCE: cf. twice.
From c. 1600 spelt thrice, to indicate the long vowel and the breath sound of s, as in dice, mice, nice, twice, etc.]
1. Three times in succession); on three successive occasions.
c. 1200. Ormin, 1149. Ure Laferrd Badd hise bedess þriȝess.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 106. He weop himsulf þries mid þis feire eien.
c. 1275. Lay., 26066. And so Arthur bi-vrne hit þries [c. 1205 þreie].
a. 1300. Cursor M., 20973 (Cott.). Paule Scipbreging he suffurd thrise [v.rr. þries, thrijs].
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. Wace (Rolls), 11340. Was þer no knyght of so hey blod Þat þer fore scholde be holde in pris, But he in dede were proued þrys.
13501400. Sir Beues (MS. E.), 4313 + 208. Þryys sche ffyl doun to þe grounde.
c. 1375. Lay Folks Mass Bk. (MS. B.), 308. At þo ende [he] sayes sanctus thryese.
c. 1400. Maundev. (Roxb.), xi. 45. Þare denyed Petre oure Lord thryess.
a. 140050. Alexander, 2279. Þus fall þou thrisse.
c. 1400. Brut, cxciv. 214. [He] felle adoun and þries [1480 Caxton thryes] cussede þe grounde.
1425. in Entick, London (1766), IV. 354. Threies seaven Ave Marias, with xv Pater Nosters and thre credes.
a. 1450. Knt. de la Tour (1906), 85. The king sent vnto her onis, tuyes, thries, and she denied not to come.
1456. Sir G. Haye, Law Arms (S.T.S.), 170. Israel was discomfyte twys, or thris.
15489. (Mar.) Bk. Com. Prayer, Baptism. Namyng the childe, [he] shall dyppe it in the water thryse.
c. 1550. Freiris of Berwik, 356, in Dunbars Poems (S.T.S.), 297. He turnit him abowt Weill thryiss.
15637. Buchanan, Reform. St. Andros, Wks. (1892), 16. Twyss or thryis in the ȝeir.
1611. Bible, Mark xiv. 30. Before the cocke crowe twise, thou shalt deny me thrise [Tind. thryse].
1732. Arbuthnot, Rules of Diet, in Aliments, etc., 418. A Spoonful or two of Canary Wine twice or thrice a day.
1842. Borrow, Bible in Spain, xxxiv. (Pelh. Libr.), 246. Though I left it thrice, it was of my own free will.
2. Three times as much (in number, amount, or value). Often vaguely or hyperbolically: Many times (as much).
Usually, preceding a numeral, or const. with as, or with comparative (now rare or obs.).
a. 1300. Cursor M., 430. Angels Þat suld of ordres haf thris thre.
1427. in 10th Rep. Hist. MSS. Comm., App. V. 295. Threes as much as he shall losse.
c. 1460. Wisdom, 649, in Macro Plays, 56. More þan I take, spende I threys iij.
1528. in Exch. Rolls Scotl., XV. 666. Bot giff the personis be vailȝeand in gudis wortht thryss the gudis at ar pundit.
1552. Huloet, Thrise as muche, triplaris, e.
c. 1600. Shaks., Sonnets, lvi. 14. Which Makes Sommers welcome thrice more wishd, more rare.
1605. 1st Pt. Ieronimo (1901), I. i. I haue a hart thrice stronger then my years.
a. 1771. Gray, Death Hoel, 12. Thrice two hundred warriors.
1849. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., iii. I. 344. A sum more than thrice as great as the whole income of the English crown in 1685.
1859. Tennyson, Geraint & Enid, 557. With some surprise and thrice as much disdain.
† b. In three manners or respects. Obs.
160712. Bacon, Ess., Great Place (Arb.), 278. Men in great place, are thrice seruauntes; Servauntes of the Sovereigne, or State, Servauntes of fame, and seruauntes of businesse.
3. Combined with a pa. pple., forming an attrib. phrase or compound adj. (in senses 1 and 2).
1508. Kennedie, Flyting w. Dunbar, 30. Thryse scheild [? sealed] trumpir.
1600. Shaks., A. Y. L., III. ii. 2. Thou thrice crowned Queene of night.
1693. J. Dryden, in D.s Juvenal, xiv. (1697), 353. A Dish Of thrice-boild Beans.
1742. Young, Nt. Th., IV. 37. Like a thrice-told tale.
1864. Pusey, Lect. Daniel, v. 283. A hundred millions thrice-told.
b. Similarly with any adjective, used vaguely or hyperbolically (as in 2): Very, highly, greatly, extremely (cf. L. ter).
1579. G. Harvey, Letter-bk. (Camden), 60. Howe will my right worshipfull and thrisevenerable masters of Cambridge scorne at the matter? Ibid., 61. Thrishonorable.
1593. Shaks., 2 Hen. VI., III. ii. 157. This thrice-famed Duke.
1631. Weever, Anc. Fun. Mon., 536. This thrice-noble family of the Percies.
1667. Milton, P. L., III. 570. Thrice happy Iles.
1850. Tennyson, In Mem., xxxii. 13. Thrice blest whose lives are faithful prayers.
4. As quasi-adj. Thrice performed; threefold, triple (rare); in first quot. vaguely: Very great.
147085. Malory, Arthur, IV. xix. 143. Ther were many knyghtes that ouermatched syr gawayne for alle the thryes myghte that he had.
1600. W. Watson, Decacordon (1602), 44. S. Peter after his relapse with thrise denial and forswearing of him.
1619. Drayton, Heroic Ep., E. Cobham to Dk. Humphrey, Argt. 9. For which, she her thrice-Penance was assignd.
a. 1866. Neale, Sequences, Hymns, etc., 21. Till the thrice Confession Blot the thrice Denial out.