a. (sb.) Forms: 1 þrinna, 3–4. þrinne, 3–5 thrinne, 4 þrynne, þrine, thrine, threin, thrijn, 5 thryn, 4 (9 sb.) thrin. [Late OE. þrinna, a. early ON. þrinn-r (later þrenn-r) triple, threefold; often = three (Sw. trenne, Da. trende), prob.:—OTeut. *þrisno-z, f. *þris (Indo-Eur. *tris, Skr. tris, Gr. τρίς) thrice, with adj. ending: cf. L. trī-nus, pl. trī-nī = ternī.] † Threefold, triple; also three kinds of, three. An adj., but sometimes best rendered by ‘thrice’ (cf. ON. þrennar tylptir ‘triple twelves,’ i.e., ‘thrice twelve’). Obs.
a. 1012. Laws Æthelred, III. c. 13. Ladiʓe hine mid þrinna XII [L. cum ter XII]; and se ʓerefa namiʓe þa lade.
c. 1200. Ormin, 1144. Her habbe icc shæwedd þrinne lac Forr þrinne kinne leode.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 3381. Ysmael had wijfs thrin [v.rr. þrinne, thre].
c. 1300. Havelok, 716. Hauelok … he dide þer-inne, Him and his wif, hise sones þrinne, And hise two doutres.
13[?]. E. E. Allit. P., B. 1805. Þus vpon þrynne wyses I haf yow þro schewed.
absol. c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. Wace (Rolls), 385. Þey departed þys land in þrynne.
13[?]. Cursor M., 9815 (Cott.). His hert aght ar atbrest in thrin [Gött. o thrinne].
13[?]. E. E. Allit. P., B. 1727. Mane, Techal, Pharez, merked in þrynne.
B. sb. (in pl.) [perh. a new formation after twins.] Three children at a birth. dial.
1878. Cumbrld. Gloss., Thrins, three at a birth.
1887. Indian Med. Gaz., 1 Sept., 246. In the case of twins and thrins about three times more than in the case of singletons.
