trey
trey
UK[treɪ]US[treɪ]
n
The playing card or side of a die bearing three spots or pips.
n
A score of three points in sports such as basketball.
Etymology
The word 'trey' entered English in the 14th century from the Anglo-Norman and Old French 'trei', 'treis', meaning 'three'. This, in turn, derives from the Latin 'trēs'. The term was specifically adopted into English to denote the 'three' in games of dice and cards, preserving its original numerical meaning. Its journey reflects the specialized vocabulary of gaming and chance that passed into English from French following the Norman Conquest. Unlike the native English 'three', 'trey' has maintained a narrow, concrete application within the context of games and scoring.
Analysis
The word 'trey' is a simplex loanword from Anglo-Norman and Old French. It is not productively formed from smaller morphemes in modern English.
Examples
He drew the trey of hearts from the deck.
The player sank a trey from the corner to win the game.
In many dice games, rolling a trey is considered lucky.