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.

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).