Thricefold

Part of speech: adjective, adverb

Definitions

1. Having three parts or elements; increasing in quantity or degree by three times; arranged or occurring in a triple manner
2. Comprising a tripartite structure; multiplied or intensified to threefold amount; characterized by a triplex composition or aspect
3. Consisting of three distinct sections or components; augmented by a factor of three; displaying a triadic form or configuration

Etymology: "Thricefold" is a straightforward English compound: "thrice," meaning three times, plus the suffix "-fold," which comes from Old English "-feald" and means "multiplied by" or "having so many parts." Together they give the sense of threefold, or three times over. English has long built words this way, with "twofold," "manifold," and "sevenfold" following the same pattern. The "thrice" element has a more interesting path. It descends from Old English "thrīwa," a form of "thrī," the word for three, which shows up in a series of adverbs ending in "-s" or "-e" that were once common in Old English, such as "twice" and "once." The archaic flavour of "thricefold" comes from this older construction, which modern English has largely dropped in favour of "three times" in ordinary speech.

Synonyms: tripled, threefold, triple

Antonyms: single, once