tierce
tierce
Definition
tierce (tirs)
noun
- Obsolete a third
- terce
- an old unit of liquid measure, equal to pipe (42 gallons)
- a cask of this capacity, between a barrel and a hogshead in size
- Fencing the third defensive position, from which a lunge or parry can be made
Etymology: ME terce < OFr < L tertia, fem. of tertius, (a) third < base of tres, three
tierce
Usage Examples
Converse of object
- have: The next interesting point is that these bells typically have very quiet tierces - look at the intensity profiles compared with those at Tewkesbury.
- tune: Even in this peal, Taylors were not tuning the tierce to the theoretical value.
Adjective modifier
- prime: In bell founding these partials have acquired their own names of hum tone, prime, tierce, quint, and nominal.
- minor: It does affect the timbre - bells with a major tierce have a clearly different quality than those with minor tierces.
- major: One suspects these major tierces in older bells occur through accident rather than design.
- nominal: From the chart, one can see that the nominal, tierce and prime were barely touched, the hum lowered a little.
Modifies a noun
- rank: His swell mixtures often had a tierce rank in the tenor octave but this was a hangover of the 18th Century English organ.
- mixture: It is carried up forty-three notes without a break, which is an excellent feature in a tierce mixture of only three ranks.
Preposition: in
- bell: One suspects these major tierces in older bells occur through accident rather than design.
Browse dictionary entries near tierce
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- TIFF-F
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