trio
nounUK /ˈtɹi.əʊ/ · US /ˈtɹioʊ/
Etymology PIE word *tréyes 1715-25; borrowing from Italian trio.
7 senses
1
A group of three people or things.
- I gave a yell for assistance, landed the leader one in the eye and backed into my tent for a weapon. By the time I was out again our fellows were running up, but the precious trio had disappeared.1923, Ernest Bramah [pseudonym; Ernest Brammah Smith], “(please specify the page)”, in The Eyes of Max Carrados, London: Grant Richards, →OCLC:
- I'm cooking crab cakes with arugula and mayonnaise, griddled lamb with rosemary potatoes and buttered spinach, then a trio of desserts.2015, Kate Hardy, Bachelor at Her Bidding:
1 more example
- These are exciting times for England and particularly for this group. Six of this side won the Under-17s European Championship in 2014 and the attacking trio from Everton and Liverpool – Ademola Lookman, Dominic Solanke and Calvert-Lewin – had an excellent tournament.2017 June 11, Ben Fisher, “England seal Under-20 World Cup glory as Dominic Calvert-Lewin strikes”, in The Guardian, archived from the original on 13 Apr 2019:
2
A group of three musicians.
- Mr. Cleaver latched on to the idea, and within moments, the trio was swinging hard over a walking bass line — the equivalent of a blurred picture coming into unequivocal focus.2015 June 18, Nate Chinen, “Review: Eric Revis Trio Lets the Music Lead the Way at the Jazz Gallery”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 16 Jun 2022:
3
Entertainment, Lifestyle, Music A piece of music written for three musicians.
- I love his music, but it is a bit disconcerting to realize that you could die in extreme old age and still only be familiar with a mere handful of the baryton trios.2013, Simon Winder, Danubia, Picador, published 2014, page 281:
- Despite their opus number, the Fantasiestücke were composed in 1842, the same year as the Piano Quartet and Quintet, and five years before the first two of the piano trios (the third followed in 1852).2021 May 6, Andrew Clements, “Schumann: The Piano Trios; Piano Quintet; Piano Quartet review – exuberance with refinement”, in The Guardian, archived from the original on 05 Aug 2021:
4
Entertainment, Lifestyle, Music A passage in the middle of a minuet, frequently in a different key.
5
Any cocktail made with a spirit, a liqueur, and a creamy ingredient.
6
Synonym of three-in-one (“type of fast food”).
7
Card games, Games Synonym of tierce.
- Carrados ought to have won the point and divided tricks, leaving his opponent a minor quart and a solitary trio—about 15 on the hand. By a careless discard he threw away both chances and the final score stood at 205-112.1923, Ernest Bramah [pseudonym; Ernest Brammah Smith], “(please specify the page)”, in The Eyes of Max Carrados, London: Grant Richards, →OCLC:
- Synonyms
- threesome, triad, trine, trinity, troika, triumvirate, tern, ternary, ternion, threeness, trinary, trio, triplet
- Derived terms
- Golden Trio, power trio, string trio, trio sonata
- Hypernyms
- group
- Hyponyms
- triennium, trilogy, triumvirate
- Meronyms
- threeling