terni, ae, a, num. distr. adj. [ter].
I Lit., three each : ea partes habet novem discretas, ter ternas, Varr. R. R. 2, 1, 12; so, terni ter cyathi, Hor. C. 3, 19, 14: ut in jugera singula ternis medimnis decidere liceret, Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 48, § 114; so id. Balb. 21, 48; Caes. B. G. 3, 15 al.: ternae sunt utriusque partes, Cic. Or. 60, 201: muneraque in naves ternos optare juvencos, Verg. A. 5, 247: ternūm pedum longitudo, Plin. 11, 29, 35, § 103: ternūm digitorum, id. 20, 17, 73, § 190: cubitorum, id. 25, 6, 30, § 66; also, intervallo ternorum pedum, id. 16, 36, 67, § 173: pariunt terna ova, Col. 8, 14, 5.—In sing.: terno consurgunt ordine remi, Verg. A. 5, 120: te Gratia terna afflavit, i. e. the three Graces , Claud. Laud. Seren. 88.—
II Transf., for tres, three : quid ternas (litteras)? Plaut. Merc. 2, 2, 33: tres equitum numero turmae ternique vagantur Ductores, Verg. A. 5, 560: saecula, Tib. 3, 7, 112: terna guttura monstri, Ov. M. 10, 22: immane est vitium, dare milia terna macello, Hor. S. 2, 4, 76: ter terna, quae sunt novem, Macr. Somn. Scip. 1, 6.