Definition

1. Adverb:
   • Three times: On three occasions; multiplied by three. This is the primary and most common meaning.
   • To a great degree; highly: (Archaic) Used for emphasis, meaning "very much" or "exceedingly."

Usage and Examples

• As "three times":

  • The bell rang thrice before anyone answered the door.
  • She checked her email thrice daily.
  • He earns thrice my salary.

• Archaic/Formal use for emphasis:

  • He was thrice blessed. (Meaning: He was very greatly blessed.)

Advanced Usage and Notes

• Frequency and Multiplication: "Thrice" is used to indicate both frequency (doing something three times) and multiplication (being three times as much).
  • Frequency: I knocked thrice.
  • Multiplication: This room is thrice the size of the other.
• Formality and Archaism: In modern English, "three times" is far more common in everyday speech. "Thrice" is considered formal, literary, or archaic. Its use can impart a poetic, old-fashioned, or emphatic tone.

Variants and Related Words

• Once (adv.): One time.
• Twice (adv.): Two times.
• Thrice is the traditional, patterned counterpart to "once" and "twice." There is no single, standard equivalent for "four times"; the pattern ends with "thrice."

Synonyms

• Three times: This is the direct and most common synonym.
• Triply (adv.): In three ways or to three times the degree. (More formal/technical)

Idioms and Phrases

• Thrice is he armed that hath his quarrel just: (Proverb) A person fighting for a just cause has a triple advantage. This illustrates the archaic, proverbial use of the word.
• Once, twice, thrice...: A traditional counting sequence, often used in rhymes, games, or for dramatic effect.

Adverb

1. three times
   • I called you thrice last night