triplet

/ˈtrɪplət/ (bre, ipa) · [trˈɪplət] /ˈtrɪplət/ (ame, ipa) · [trˈɪplət] /ˈtri-plət How to pronounce triplet (audio)/ (ame, mw)

triplet — noun

  • tripletsingular
  • tripletsplural

1. one of three babies, or sometimes three young animals, that come from a single p

1.名詞B2
釋義

one of three babies, or sometimes three young animals, that come from a single pregnancy and are born together

例句

Ayesha is a triplet, and her sisters were born five minutes later.

pattern: be a triplet

The newborn triplets slept in three bassinets beside Jenna's hospital bed.

triplets used for the three babies together

同義詞
  • one of triplets

    a plain descriptive phrase that explains the birth relationship directly

  • multiple-birth child

    broader and more formal; includes twins, triplets, and higher-number births

文法句型

be a triplet

one of triplets

triplet + noun

用法筆記

Often used after 'be' or before a noun such as 'sister,' 'brother,' or an animal name. Use the plural 'triplets' when you mean the three children together.

常見錯誤

❌The babies are triplet.
✅The babies are triplets.' or 'Each baby is a triplet.
💡use the plural for the three children together, and the singular for one child.

2. a rhythmic pattern in which three matching notes or beats fit into the space nor

2.名詞C1
釋義

a rhythmic pattern in which three matching notes or beats fit into the space normally used for two

例句

Theo clapped the triplet slowly until the younger drummers could copy it.

play or clap a triplet

The piano teacher marked the triplet with a bracket above the notes.

notation: triplet marked above the notes

同義詞
  • triplet figure

    used when referring to the written or repeated rhythmic pattern

  • tuplet

    broader musical term for any irregular rhythmic grouping, not only groups of three

反義詞
  • duplet

    a two-note grouping in a comparable rhythmic slot

文法句型

play a triplet

triplet + noun

mark a triplet

用法筆記

In written music, a triplet is often marked with a small '3' and a bracket or curve. Distinguish it from three ordinary notes that each keep their full value.

常見錯誤

❌Play each note longer to make a triplet.
✅Fit three equal notes into the time of two.
💡a triplet works by dividing the beat more finely, not by stretching it.

3. three matching or closely related items treated as one unit

3.名詞B2
釋義

three matching or closely related items treated as one unit

例句

Jin bought a triplet of candles to place across the dining table.

pattern: a triplet of + plural noun

On the shelf sat a triplet of blue jars from the same market.

同義詞
  • trio

    more common in everyday English, especially for people or performers

  • triad

    more formal and often used for abstract or technical groupings

  • threesome

    more informal and usually used for people rather than objects

反義詞
  • pair

    a set of two rather than three items

文法句型

a triplet of + noun

display a triplet of + noun

用法筆記

Often followed by 'of' plus a plural noun. This sense is more often used for matching objects or design items than for musicians, where 'trio' is usually the natural word.

常見錯誤

❌The band performed as a triplet.
✅The band performed as a trio.
💡for three musicians performing together, 'trio' is the usual everyday word.

4. a verse unit made of three lines that belong together as a single stanza

4.名詞C1
釋義

a verse unit made of three lines that belong together as a single stanza

例句

Lukas ended the poem with a triplet that echoed the opening image.

end a poem with a triplet

In class, the students compared the triplet with the longer stanza below it.

triplet contrasted with another stanza length

同義詞
  • tercet

    the more technical term for a three-line stanza in poetry

  • three-line stanza

    a plain descriptive phrase used outside literary analysis

反義詞

文法句型

write a triplet

end with a triplet

final triplet

用法筆記

This is mostly a literary term used in poetry discussion. In general teaching, people may instead say 'a three-line stanza,' while 'tercet' is a more technical synonym.