3. (Mus.) The third tone of the scale. See Mediant.
4. A sequence of three playing cards of the same suit. Tierce of ace, king, queen, is called tierce-
major.
5. (Fencing) A position in thrusting or parrying in which the wrist and nails are turned downward.
6. (R. C. Ch.) The third hour of the day, or nine a. m,; one of the canonical hours; also, the service
appointed for that hour.
Tiercé
(Tier*cé") a. [F.] (Her.) Divided into three equal parts of three different tinctures; — said of an escutcheon.
Tiercel
(Tier"cel Tierce"let) n. [OE. tercel, tercelet, F. tiercelet, a dim. of (assumed) tiercel, or LL.
tertiolus, dim. fr. L. tertius the third; — so called, according to some, because every third bird in the
nest is a male, or, according to others, because the male is the third part less than female. Cf. Tercel.]
(Falconry) The male of various falcons, esp. of the peregrine; also, the male of the goshawk. Encyc.
Brit.
Tierce-major
(Tierce"-ma`jor) n. [Cf. F. tierce majeure.] (Card Playing) See Tierce, 4.
Tiercet
(Tier"cet) n. [F. tercet. See Tercet.] (Pros.) A triplet; three lines, or three lines rhyming together.
Tie-rod
(Tie"-rod) n. A rod used as a tie. See Tie.
Tiers état
(||Tiers` é`tat") [F.] The third estate, or commonalty, in France, answering to the commons in Great
Britain; — so called in distinction from, and as inferior to, the nobles and clergy.
The refusal of the clergy and nobility to give the tiers état a representation in the States-general proportioned
to their actual numbers had an important influence in bringing on the French Revolution of 1789. Since
that time the term has been purely historical.
Tietick
(Tie"tick) n. The meadow pipit. [Prov. Eng].
Tiewig
(Tie"wig`) n. A wig having a tie or ties, or one having some of the curls tied up; also, a wig tied
upon the head. Wright. V. Knox.
Tiff
(Tiff) n. [Originally, a sniff, sniffing; cf. Icel. efr a smell, efa to sniff, Norw. tev a drawing in of the
breath, teva to sniff, smell, dial. Sw. tüv smell, scent, taste.]
1. Liquor; especially, a small draught of liquor. "Sipping his tiff of brandy punch." Sir W. Scott.
2. A fit of anger or peevishness; a slight altercation or contention. See Tift. Thackeray.
Tiff
(Tiff), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Tiffed ; p. pr. & vb. n. Tiffing.] To be in a pet.
She tiffed with Tim, she ran from Ralph.
Landor. Tiff
(Tiff), v. t. [OE. tiffen, OF. tiffer, tifer, to bedizen; cf. D. tippen to clip the points or ends of the
hair, E. tip, n.] To deck out; to dress. [Obs.] A. Tucker.
Tiffany
(Tif"fa*ny) n. [OE. tiffenay; cf. OF. tiffe ornament, tiffer to adjust, adorn. See Tiff to dress.] A
species of gause, or very silk.
The smoke of sulphur . . . is commonly used by women to whiten tiffanies.
Sir T. Browne.
