Tri

/traɪ/ prefix

Definition

A prefix meaning 'three,' used to form words like 'triangle' or 'tricycle.'

Etymology

From Latin 'tres' meaning 'three,' this prefix has been productive in English since medieval times. It appears in thousands of English words borrowed from Latin and French.

Kelly Says

The letters T-R-I appear in so many languages because Latin was so influential—you'll find it in Spanish 'tres,' French 'trois,' Italian 'tre,' German 'drei.' All descended from the same ancient Indo-European root!

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.