Tripleton

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A group of three identical cards, or three genes at one locus that are alike, held together as a single unit in genetics or card games
2. A trio of matching items such as three cards of the same rank in a hand, or three identical alleles at one genetic position
3. Three equal or identical elements considered together, most often three cards of one denomination or three alleles sharing a locus

Etymology: "Tripleton" is a formal coinage built from "triple" and the suffix "-ton", the same ending found in "singleton" and "doubleton". In the game of bridge, the term describes a holding of exactly three cards of one suit in a player's hand, and the pattern is a useful piece of information for planning play. The word's logic is transparent: "-ton" marks a set of one kind of card, so "tripleton" names a three-card group, paralleling "singleton" for one card and "doubleton" for two. The pattern makes the term easy to read even for a player who has never heard it before.