triple

1.adjectiveB1

Definition

formed from three separate items or elements that work together as a single unit.

Example

Amelia signed a triple agreement that covered rent, utilities, and internet costs.

collocation: triple agreement / triple award

Rania's doctor recommended triple bypass surgery after finding blockages in three arteries.

collocation: triple bypass surgery (medical context)

Common collocations

triple bypass
triple jump
triple threat
triple alliance
triple murder

Synonyms

threefold
more formal; often used in academic or technical writing
tripartite
very formal; used mainly in politics, law, or business for three-party arrangements

Antonyms

single
consisting of only one part or element

Grammar Patterns

triple + noun

2.adjectiveB2

Definition

describes a musical rhythm where each bar contains three main beats, as in a waltz.

Example

Felix tapped his foot to the triple beat of the waltz his sister played on the piano.

musical term: triple time / triple metre

The piano teacher showed the class that a waltz uses triple time, counting 'ONE-two-three' for each bar.

Common collocations

triple time
triple meter
triple rhythm
triple beat

Synonyms

ternary
formal music theory term; very technical

Antonyms

duple
describes music with two beats per bar

Grammar Patterns

triple + time / rhythm / meter

Usage Note

In music writing, 'triple' is almost always paired with a following noun such as 'time', 'meter', or 'rhythm'. You would not say 'a triple song' — instead say 'a song in triple time'.

3.adjectiveB1

Definition

equal to three times the usual size, amount, value, or level of something.

Example

Yara received a triple payment for working on the national holiday.

pattern: triple + noun for quantity

Mei earned a triple bonus for completing the project two weeks ahead of schedule.

attributive adjective: triple + noun (bonus, prize, reward)

Common collocations

triple dose
triple portion
triple the cost
triple the size

Synonyms

threefold
more formal; often used after the noun ('a threefold increase')

Antonyms

half
the opposite direction of size comparison

Grammar Patterns

triple + noun (amount, size, value)

Common Mistakes

a triple the dose

a triple dose' or 'triple the dose

when 'triple' is an adjective it goes before the noun without 'the'; when used as a predeterminer it goes before 'the' + noun.

1.nounB2

Definition

a baseball play in which the batter strikes the ball and reaches third base safely in one run.

Example

Kevin hit a triple in the bottom of the ninth, driving in two runs for his team.

baseball: hit / get / slug a triple

The triple bounced past the center fielder and rolled toward the wall.

Common collocations

hit a triple
slug a triple
lead-off triple
stand-up triple

Synonyms

three-base hit
formal baseball term; used in rulebooks and statistics

Grammar Patterns

hit / get / slug + a triple

Usage Note

Distinguish from 'double' (the batter stops at second base) and 'home run' (the batter rounds all bases). In baseball statistics, triples are the rarest type of hit.

2.nounC1

Definition

a jump in ice skating or rollerblading where the athlete spins through three complete rotations in the air before landing.

Example

Élise landed her first triple during the championship competition in Montreal.

sports: do / land / attempt a triple

The figure skater landed a triple axel by spinning three full times before touching the ice.

Common collocations

triple axel
triple lutz
triple toe loop
triple salchow
land a triple
attempt a triple

Synonyms

three-revolution jump
descriptive term; less common in everyday skating talk

Antonyms

single
a jump with one rotation
double
a jump with two rotations

Grammar Patterns

do / land / attempt + a triple

Usage Note

In competitive judging, triples are named by their take-off edge and landing (e.g. 'triple axel', 'triple lutz'). A 'quad' is a jump with four rotations.

1.verbtransitive / intransitiveB1

Definition

to reach three times the original number, size, or volume, through natural growth or deliberate action.

Example

The company's profits tripled in just two years after the new product launch.

intransitive use: subject + tripled

Talia tripled the recipe because she was cooking for twenty dinner guests.

transitive use: subject + tripled + object

Common collocations

profits tripled
population tripled
triple in size
triple the output
more than triple

Synonyms

treble
same meaning; more common in British English than American English

Antonyms

halve
to reduce to half the original amount

Grammar Patterns

something triples

someone triples something

Usage Note

Can be used both ways without changing form. The intransitive pattern ('Sales tripled') describes a result; the transitive pattern ('They tripled sales') describes an action that produced the result.

Common Mistakes

The price tripled more than three times.

The price tripled.

'tripled' already means three times; adding 'more than three times' is redundant.

2.verbintransitiveB2

Definition

in baseball, to hit the ball and safely reach third base, often allowing other runners to score during the play.

Example

Sven tripled to right field and brought the tying run home for his team.

baseball: triple + to + direction

The shortstop tried to catch the ball, but Kian tripled on a line drive to deep center.

Common collocations

tripled to left
tripled to center
triple to right field
triple down the line

Grammar Patterns

someone triples + adverbial (direction/field)

Usage Note

This verb only occurs in baseball contexts. The related noun 'triple' (noun sense 1) is far more common; the verb form is used mainly in play-by-play commentary.

Word family

triplet
nounB1
triply
adverbC1
triplicate
adjectiveC1
triplicate
verbC1
tripling
nounB2
tripled
adjectiveB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: predeterminer/1

'Triple the amount' and 'three times the amount' are interchangeable in most contexts, but 'three times' is more common in everyday speech, while 'triple' feels slightly more economical and punchy in writing. 'Threefold' is more formal and usually appears after the noun in academic or business writing ('a threefold increase'). In practical usage: 'The new phone costs triple the price of the old one' sounds natural in casual conversation, whereas 'The cost represents a threefold increase' belongs in a report. Note that 'triple' as a predeterminer cannot stand alone before a noun — it must be followed by a determiner ('triple the cost', not 'triple cost').

triple ↗three timesthreefold

Common collocations

Nouns

triple amount
triple size
triple strength
triple dose
triple portion

Adverbs

roughly triple
more than triple
almost triple
nearly triple

Phrases

triple the price
triple the size
triple the amount
triple the number

Prepositions

tripled in
tripled from
triple for

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'triple' entered English in the 14th century through Old French 'triple', which came from Latin 'triplus' — a combination of 'tri-' (meaning 'three') and '-plus' (meaning 'fold'). Latin 'triplus' itself was modelled on Greek 'triplous' (τριπλοῦς). The core sense of 'threefold' has remained stable for over 600 years, while specialised uses in baseball and music developed in the 19th and 20th centuries.

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triple

triple — adjective

1. formed from three separate items or elements that work together as a single unit

Grammar Patterns

2. describes a musical rhythm where each bar contains three main beats, as in a wal

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

3. equal to three times the usual size, amount, value, or level of something.

Grammar Patterns

Common Mistakes

triple — noun

1. a baseball play in which the batter strikes the ball and reaches third base safe

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

2. a jump in ice skating or rollerblading where the athlete spins through three com

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

triple — predeterminer

1. placed before a noun phrase to mean three times that thing's amount, size, or st

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

triple — verb

1. to reach three times the original number, size, or volume, through natural growt

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

2. in baseball, to hit the ball and safely reach third base, often allowing other r

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Word family

Synonym discussion

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

Prepositions

Etymology

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