trice

• POS: Noun, Verb (transitive)

CIDE DICTIONARY

trice, v. t. [OE. trisen; of Scand. or Low German origin; cf. Sw. trissa a sheave, pulley, triss a spritsail brace, Dan. tridse a pulley, tridse to haul by means of a pulley, to trice, LG. trisse a pulley, D. trijsen to hoist.].

•  To pull; to haul; to drag; to pull away.  [1913 Webster]

  " Out of his seat I will him trice."  [1913 Webster]
•  To haul and tie up by means of a rope.  [1913 Webster]

trice, n. [Sp. tris the noise made by the breaking of glass, an instant, en un tris in an instant; probably of imitative origin.].

 A very short time; an instant; a moment; -- now used only in the phrase in a trice.  Shak.  [1913 Webster]
"A man shall make his fortune in a trice."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

trice, n.

Idiom

in a trice in a moment; instantly.

Etymology

ME trice (v.) pull, haul f. MDu. trisen, MLG trissen, rel. to MDu. trise windlass, pulley

THESAURUS

trice

breath, coup, crack, flash, half a jiffy, half a mo, half a second, half a shake, instant, jiff, jiffy, microsecond, millisecond, minute, moment, sec, second, shake, split second, stroke, tick, twink, twinkle, twinkling, twitch, two shakes, wink

ROGET THESAURUS

trice

Instantaneity

N instantaneity, instantaneousness, immediacy, suddenness, abruptness, moment, instant, second, minute, twinkling, trice, flash, breath, crack, jiffy, coup, burst, flash of lightning, stroke of time, epoch, time, time of day, time of night, hour, minute, very minute, very time, very hour, present time, right time, true time, exact correct time, instantaneous, momentary, sudden, immediate, instant, abrupt, discontinuous, precipitous, precipitant, precipitate, subitaneous, hasty, quick as thought, quick as lightning, quick as a flash, rapid as electricity, speedy, quick, fast, fleet, swift, lively, blitz, rapid (velocity), instantaneously, in no time, in less than no time, presto, subito, instanter, suddenly, at a stroke, like a shot, in a moment, in the blink of an eye, in the twinkling of an eye, in a trice, in one's tracks, right away, toute a l'heure, at one jump, in the same breath, per saltum, uno saltu, at once, all at once, plump, slap, at one fell swoop, at the same instant, immediately, extempore, on the moment, on the spot, on the spur of the moment, no sooner said than done, just then, slap-dash, touch and go, no sooner said than done.