ternary

• POS: Adjective, Noun
• HYPHEN: ter=na=ry

CIDE DICTIONARY

ternary, a. [L. ternarius, fr. terni. See Tern, a.].

•  Proceeding by threes; consisting of three; as, the ternary number was anciently esteemed a symbol of perfection, and held in great veneration.  [1913 Webster]
•  Containing, or consisting of, three different parts, as elements, atoms, groups, or radicals, which are regarded as having different functions or relations in the molecule; thus, sodic hydroxide, NaOH, is a ternary compound.  [1913 Webster]

ternary, n. 

 A ternion; the number three; three things taken together; a triad.  [1913 Webster]
"Some in ternaries, some in pairs, and some single."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

ternary, adj.
1 composed of three parts.
2 Math. using three as a base (ternary scale).

Idiom

ternary form Mus. the form of a movement in which the first subject is repeated after an interposed second subject in a related key.

Etymology

ME f. L ternarius f. terni three each

THESAURUS

ternary

clover, deuce-ace, leash, set of three, shamrock, tercet, tern, ternal, ternate, ternion, terzetto, three, three-ply, threefold, threesome, tierce, treble, trefoil, trey, triad, trialogue, triangle, tricorn, trident, triennium, trihedron, trilogic, trilogy, trimester, trinal, trine, trinity, trinomial, trio, triphthong, triple, triple crown, triple threat, triplet, triplex, triplicate, triplopy, tripod, triptych, trireme, triseme, triskelion, trisul, triumvirate, triunity, trivet, troika

ROGET THESAURUS

ternary

Triality

N triality, trinity, triunity, three, triad, triplet, trey, trio, ternion, leash, shamrock, tierce, spike-team, trefoil, triangle, trident, triennium, trigon, trinomial, trionym, triplopia, tripod, trireme, triseme, triskele, triskelion, trisula, third power, cube, cube root, three, triform, trinal, trinomial, tertiary, ternary, triune, triarch, triadie, triple, tri-, tris-, tria juncta in uno.

Triplication

N triplication, triplicity, trebleness, trine, treble, triple, tern, ternary, triplicate, threefold, trilogistic, third, trinal, trine, three times, three fold, thrice, in the third place, thirdly, trebly.