trice

Meanings

Verb

• To pull, to pull out or away, to pull sharply.
• To drag or haul, especially with a rope; specifically to haul or hoist and tie up by means of a rope.

Noun

• Now only in the phrase in a trice: a very short time; an instant, a moment.
• A pulley, a windlass.

Origin

• From Middle English trīcen, trice, trise, from Middle Dutch trīsen (modern Dutch trijsen) or Middle Low German trissen ("to trice the spritsail"); further etymology uncertain. The word is cognate with Danish trisse, tridse, Low German trissen, tryssen, drisen, drysen, German trissen, triezen.
• From Middle English trīce, trise, in the phrase at a trīce, later also in the phrases in a trice, on a trice, and with a trice. The word is ultimately from Middle English trīcen: see etymology 1 above.
• From Middle English trīce, tryys, tryyst, from Middle Dutch trīse, trijs (modern Dutch trijs ("hoisting-block, pulley, windlass")) or Middle Low German trīsse, trītse; probably related to the verb trice (see etymology 1 above), and perhaps to Old English tryndel ("roller, wheel") (see further at trend, trindle). The English word is cognate with Danish tridse, trisse, Low German trissel ("dizziness; whirling"), German trieze ("crane; pulley"), Norwegian triss ("pulley"), Swedish trissa ("pulley, truckle").