2006-09-13 04:38:10 · 10 answers · asked by FairyHoaxster 3 in Education & Reference ➔ Words & Wordplay
A dictionary reference would be really useful guys! I think the leading candidates are 'tridant' and 'tridrant' but can't find them properly defined or even used anywhere.
2006-09-13 09:44:52 · update #1
On the proposals offered so far:
1) Trisector does NOT mean "a third"
"trisector" - that which is used to divide something into three parts (cf. "bisector")
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/dict.asp?Word=trisector
http://www.webster.com/dictionary/bisector
2) Similarly "trisection" is the act of dividing into three parts (compare "bisection")
http://www.onelook.com/?other=web1913&w=Trisection
3) "tri-dent" means 'three pronged' (literally 'three-toothed')
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/trident
4) "tridrant" is not a possibility. The Latin prefix forms for 'three' are are "tri-" or "tert-".... no "dr" at th end ("quadrant" uses the form "quadr-" for 'four')
http://www.valleyheights.org/root_of_the_month/numbers.htm
So what terminology do you use?
If you want to coin a new form parallel to quadrant, you could try something like "trient". This would be analogous to quadrans/triens, the names for Roman coins meaning fourth/third part [of the copper coin called an "as"].
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triens
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quadrans
Actually the answer, at least in some cases, may be "quadrant" or "quarter"!
Part of the problems is that there IS no standard way of dividing spaces into three, no recognized 'third part' of a larger space. On the other hand, quadrant and the equivalent "quarter" are so common that they are sometimes used to refer to major parts even when there are not four of them. Thus referring to a "quarter" of a city (esp. by name, e.g., "the French quarter") does not necessarily mean it is one of four parts, much less of four equal parts.
http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-giv1.htm
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/quarter
2006-09-13 14:56:38 · answer #1 · answered by bruhaha 7 · 2⤊ 2⤋
According to the Dictionary you have 2 choices, a Tri-section or a Tri-sector.
2006-09-13 05:02:39 · answer #2 · answered by sarah b 4 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Tri-sector.
2006-09-13 04:45:37 · answer #3 · answered by kekeke 5 · 1⤊ 2⤋
A tetrant?
A thirdle?
A threedrant?
A thirsector?
A triplicision?
A tertriary sector?
2006-09-13 05:03:39 · answer #4 · answered by Yentl 4 · 0⤊ 2⤋
clearly there is no word for one third of a space !!!!
2015-10-01 23:20:23 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
hum......got me thinking this has. tri-sector souns pheasable, and i have watched waaay too many episeodes of stargate, so...yeap id go with that. however do let me know if this ever comes in useful! :P
2006-09-13 04:52:33 · answer #6 · answered by viki c 1 · 0⤊ 2⤋
I would just use the word "segment".
2015-11-05 07:24:46 · answer #7 · answered by Mia 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
tri-sector sounds feasible to me.
2006-09-13 05:15:50 · answer #8 · answered by ♫☼♥ ≈ Debbi ≈ ♥☼♫ 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋
I'll guess and say "tridrant."
2006-09-13 04:45:58 · answer #9 · answered by CigarMe 3 · 1⤊ 2⤋
trident
2006-09-13 04:43:01 · answer #10 · answered by Cat Man Do 3 · 1⤊ 2⤋