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Origin and history of Trillium

Trillium(n.)

lilaceous plant genus, 1768, from Modern Latin trillium (Linnaeus, 1753), from Latin tri- "three" (see three). So called for the numerical symmetry in its leaves and flower segments.

also from 1768

Entries linking to Trillium

three(num.)

"1 more than two; the number which is one more than two; a symbol representing this number;" Old English þreo, fem. and neuter (masc. þri, þrie), from Proto-Germanic *thrijiz (source also of Old Saxon thria, Old Frisian thre, Middle Dutch and Dutch drie, Old High German dri, German drei, Old Norse þrir, Danish tre). This is from PIE root *trei- "three" (source also of Sanskrit trayas, Avestan thri, Greek treis, Latin tres, Lithuanian trys, Old Church Slavonic trye, Irish and Welsh tri "three").

3-D (adj.) is attested by 1952, abbreviation of three-dimensional (1878); the three dimensions were so called from late 14c. The clothing three-piece suit is recorded by 1897. The three-martini lunch is attested from 1972.

Three cheers for ______ is recorded from 1751. Three-ring circus is recorded by 1898. Three musketeers translates French les trois mousquetaires, title of the 1844 novel by Alexandre Dumas père.

Three-sixty "complete turnaround" is from 1927, originally among aviators, in reference to the number of degrees in a full circle.

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    wood
    Old English wudu, earlier widu "tree, trees collectively, forest, grove; the substance of which trees are made," from Proto-Germanic *widu- (source also of Old Norse viðr, Danish and Swedish ved "tree, wood," Old High German witu "wood"), from PIE *widhu- "tree, wood" (source als
    lily
    Old English lilie, from Latin lilia, plural of lilium "a lily," cognate with Greek leirion, both perhaps borrowed from a corrupted pronunciation of an eastern Mediterranean word (de Vaan compares Coptic hreri, hleli "lily"). Used in Old Testament to translate Hebrew shoshanna and
    nostalgia
    1726, "morbid longing to return to one's home or native country, severe homesickness considered as a disease," Modern Latin, coined 1688 in a dissertation on the topic at the University of Basel by scholar Johannes Hofer (1669-1752) as a rendering of German heimweh "homesickness"
    confer
    1530s, "examine by comparison;" 1540s (intransitive) "consult together on some special subject;" 1560s, "bestow as a gift or permanent possession," from Old French conférer (14c.) "to give; to converse; to compare," from Latin conferre "to bring together," figuratively "to compar
    reproach
    mid-14c., reproche, "a rebuke, blame, censure" directed against a person; also "object of scorn or contempt;" c. 1400, as "disgrace, state of disgrace," from Anglo-French repruce, Old French reproche "blame, shame, disgrace" (12c.), from reprochier "to blame, bring up against." O
    brand
    Old English brand, brond "fire, flame, destruction by fire; firebrand, piece of burning wood, torch," and (poetic) "sword," from Proto-Germanic *brandaz "a burning" (source also of Old Norse brandr, Old High German brant, Old Frisian brond "firebrand; blade of a sword," German br
    contrive
    early 14c., controve, contreve, "to invent, devise, plan;" late 14c., "to manage by a plan or scheme," from Old French controver (Modern French controuver) "to find out, contrive, imagine," from Late Latin contropare "to compare" (via a figure of speech), from an assimilated form
    Cincinnati
    city on the Ohio River in Ohio, U.S., founded 1789 and first called Losantiville; the name was changed 1790 by territorial Gov. Arthur St. Clair, in honor of the Society of the Cincinnati, a fraternal veterans' organization founded 1783 by former Revolutionary War officers (St. C
    mundane
    mid-15c., mondeine, "of this world, worldly, terrestrial," from Old French mondain "of this world, worldly, earthly, secular;" also "pure, clean; noble, generous" (12c.) and directly from Late Latin mundanus "belonging to the world" (as distinct from the Church), in classical Lat
    exploit
    late 14c., "outcome of an action," from Old French esploit "a carrying out; achievement, result; gain, advantage" (12c., Modern French exploit), a very common word, used in senses of "action, deed, profit, achievement," from Latin explicitum "a thing settled, ended, or displayed,

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