triad

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: Tri=ad

CIDE DICTIONARY

triad, n. [L. trias, -adis, Gr. , , fr., , three: cf. F. triade. See Three, and cf. Trias, Trio.].

•  A union of three; three objects treated as one; a ternary; a trinity; as, a triad of deities.  [1913 Webster]
•  A chord of three notes.  [1913 Webster]
•  An element or radical whose valence is three.  [1913 Webster]

Triads of the Welsh bards, poetical histories, in which the facts recorded are grouped by threes, three things or circumstances of a kind being mentioned together. -- Hindu triad. See Trimurti.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

triad, n.
1 a group of three (esp. notes in a chord).
2 the number three.
3 a Chinese secret society, usu. criminal.
4 a Welsh form of literary composition with an arrangement in groups of three.

Derivative

triadic adj. triadically adv.

Etymology

F triade or LL trias triad- f. Gk trias -ados f. treis three

THESAURUS

triad

arpeggio, broken chord, chord, clover, common chord, concento, concord, consonant chord, deuce-ace, diminished seventh chord, dominant chord, enharmonic, leash, major triad, minor chord, set of three, seventh chord, shamrock, sixth chord, tercet, ternary, ternion, terzetto, three, threesome, tierce, tonic triad, trefoil, trey, trialogue, triangle, tricorn, trident, triennium, trihedron, trilogy, trimester, trine, trinity, trinomial, trio, triphthong, triple, triple crown, triple threat, triplet, triplopy, tripod, triptych, trireme, triseme, triskelion, trisul, triumvirate, triune, triunity, trivet, troika, unbroken chord

ROGET THESAURUS

triad

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.