WordWeight : Weighing the Words

Pronunciation : Tierce
Part of Speech : n.
Etymology : [F. tierce a third, from tiers, tierce, third, fr. L. tertius the third; akin to tres three. See Third, Three, and cf. Terce, Tercet, Tertiary.]
Definition : 1. A cask whose content is one third of a pipe; that is, forty-two wine gallons; also, a liquid measure of forty-two wine, or thirty- five imperial, gallons.

2. A cask larger than a barrel, and smaller than a hogshead or a puncheon, in which salt provisions, rice, etc., are packed for shipment.

3. (Mus.)

Defn: The third tone of the scale. See Mediant.

4. A sequence of three playing cards of the same suit. Tierce of ace, king, queen, is called tierce-major.

5. (Fencing)

Defn: A position in thrusting or parrying in which the wrist and nails are turned downward.

6. (R. C. Ch.)

Defn: The third hour of the day, or nine a.m.; one of the canonical hours; also, the service appointed for that hour.
Source : Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913

Pronunciation : Tier*c
Part of Speech : a.
Etymology : [F.] (Her.)
Definition : Defn: Divided into three equal parts of three different tinctures; -- said of an escutcheon.
Source : Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913