trice
Meaning
a very short period of time; an instant.
Usage
she finished the task in a trice.
i'll be back in a trice.
the magician made the coin disappear in a trice.
Etymology
The word 'trice' originates from a nautical context in Middle English, borrowed from Middle Dutch 'trīsen', meaning to hoist or pull. The phrase 'at a trice' literally meant accomplishing a task in the time it takes to pull a single rope. From this concrete, physical action of a brief, sharp pull, the meaning generalized and abstracted to signify any exceedingly short period or moment. Thus, a term for a specific mechanical action on a ship evolved into a common expression for an instant in Modern English.
Analysis
This word is a simplex form. It is derived from the Middle English phrase 'at a trice', meaning 'at a single pull', which itself came from the Middle Dutch 'trīsen' (to hoist, pull sharply).