treble

treble¹

adjective

1》 consisting of three parts.

2》 multiplied or occurring three times.

predeterminer three times as much or as many.

noun

1》 Brit. three sporting victories or championships in the same season, event, etc.

2》 Darts a hit on the narrow ring enclosed by the two middle circles of a dartboard, scoring treble.

3》 Brit. a system of betting in which the winnings and stake from the first bet are transferred to a second and then (if successful) to a third.

4》 a thing which is three times larger than usual or is made up of three parts.

pronoun an amount which is three times as large as usual.

verb make or become treble.

Origin

ME: via OFr. from L. triplus (see triple).

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treble²

noun

1》 a high-pitched voice, especially a boy's singing voice.

2》 [as modifier] denoting a relatively high-pitched member of a family of instruments.

    ↘(also treble bell) the smallest and highest-pitched bell of a ring or set.

3》 the high-frequency output of a radio or audio system, corresponding to the treble in music.

Origin

ME: from treble¹, because it was the highest part in a three-part contrapuntal composition.