noun
trice
tryss
Trice (noun) means a very short time; a moment. Almost always used in the phrase "in a trice". Example: “He had the wheel changed in a trice.”
noun
1
A very short time; a moment. Almost always used in the phrase "in a trice".
"He had the wheel changed in a trice."
"In a trice the room was empty."
verb
1
nautical, rare In nautical use, to haul or hoist something up with a rope and secure it.
"The crew triced up the awning before the squall hit."
How to use trice
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA tiny amount of time — "in a trice" means instantly.
When to use it
Dated and literary. Fine in narrative prose, out of place in technical or business writing.
Memory tip
Learn it only as the phrase "in a trice"; using "trice" alone will sound wrong to native speakers.
Trace the full origin ↓
Common pairings
in a trice
done in a trice
gone in a trice
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He had the wheel changed in a _____.
Etymology
From Middle Dutch trisen, "to hoist", related to trise, a pulley. The noun originally meant a single pull or tug on a rope, and from "at one pull" came the sense of a single instant.
Related words
Rhymes for trice
See all rhymes for trice →Frequently asked questions
Is "trice" still used today?
Only inside the fixed phrase "in a trice", which survives in writing and in older or more literary speech. You will almost never hear "trice" used as a standalone noun, and the nautical verb is confined to sailing texts.
What is the difference between "in a trice" and "in a jiffy"?
They mean the same span of time — almost none. "In a jiffy" is casual, chatty and more common in speech; "in a trice" sounds old-fashioned and slightly literary, and turns up mostly in writing.
Does trice have anything to do with three?
No, despite the resemblance to Latin tri-. It comes from a Dutch word meaning to hoist or pull, and the number three plays no part in it.
What is the meaning of trice?
"trice" (noun) means a very short time; a moment. Almost always used in the phrase "in a trice".
