trēs (also treis and trīs; acc. tres and tris), trĭa, num. adj. [Sanscr. tri-, trajas; Gr. τρεῖς, τρία; Goth. thrija; Germ. drei; Engl. three].
I Three : duas, tris minas auferunt, Plaut. Bacch. 4, 4, 7: tria corpora, Tris species tam dissimiles, Lucr. 5, 93 sq.: horum trium generum quodvis, Cic. Rep. 1, 26, 42: hoc loquor de tribus his generibus, id. ib. 1, 28, 44: tribus modis, uno ... altero ... tertio ..., Cic. Div. 1, 30, 64: fundos decem et tres reliquit, id. Rosc. Am. 7, 20.—
II To denote a small number: (sermo) tribus verbis, of three words , Plaut. Mil. 4, 2, 29; so, verbis, id. Trin. 4, 2, 121; cf. Ter. Phorm. 638; Ov. P. 4, 3, 26: ego tribus primis verbis, quid noster Paetus; at ille, etc., at the first three words , Cic. Fam. 9, 19, 1: haec omnia in tribus verbis, Quint. 9, 4, 78: chartis, Cat. 1, 5: suavia, id. 79, 4: cum tribus illa bibit, Mart. 13, 124, 2.