[ad. late L. triplicitāt-em, f. L. triplex, -icem: see TRIPLEX and -ITY. Cf. F. triplicité (14–15th c. in Hatz.-Darm.).]
1. The quality or condition of being triple; threefold character or existence; tripleness, threefoldness.
1555. Eden, Decades, 1. One god whom we honour in triplicitie of person.
1624. Heywood, Gunaik., VI. 268. To this three-fold age, I compare the triplicitie of the Muses.
1690. Burnet, Th. Earth, III. 10. This triplicity of the heavens and the earth is the first, obvious, plain sence of the apostle’s discourse.
1705. Hearne, Collect., 12 Dec. (O.H.S.), I. 126. The Triplicity of the Crownes.
1850. L. Hunt, Autobiog., I. ii. 45. He was clergyman, physician, and lawyer, at once. How this singular triplicity came to take place, I cannot say.
2. A combination or group of three things, beings, or attributes; three things collectively; a triad, trio, triplet.
1585. S. R. (title), The Choise of Change: Containing the Triplicitie of Diuinitie, Philosophie, and Poetrie.
1590. Spenser, F. Q., I. xii. 39. Many an Angels voice Singing before th’eternall majeste, In their trinall triplicities on hye.
1607. Topsell, Four-f. Beasts (1658), 451. The Panther … is joyned with the Lion and the Wolf, to make up the triplicity of ravening Beasts.
1660. Waterhouse, Arms & Arm., 143. Solomon, Marcus Antoninus, and our late King James, a triplicity of unparalleld Majesties.
1899. F. M. Crawford, Via Crucis, vi. 71. A most perfect triplicity of beauty, grace and elastic strength.
† b. A multiple by three; three times the amount. Obs. rare–1.
1646. Sir T. Browne, Pseud. Ep., IV. xii. 218. Affirming … what receiveth motion in the seventh, to be perfected in the Triplicities; that is, the time of conformation … from motion unto the birth [is] treble.
3. spec. in Astrol. A combination of three of the twelve signs of the zodiac, each sign being distant 120° or the third part of a circle from the other two: = TRIGON 2 a.
Each of the four triplicities is named after one of the ‘elements,’ of whose qualities it is supposed to partake; thus airy t. = Gemini, Libra, Aquarius; earthy t. = Taurus, Virgo, Capricornus; fiery t. = Aries, Leo, Sagittarius; watery t. = Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., VIII. ix. (Bodl. MS.), lf. 80/1. Þese howses beþ icleped þe howses of triplicite and somme of exaltacioun, for þilke signes þat accordeþ in one kinde makeþ triplicite and have .0. name.
c. 1532. Du Wes, Introd. Fr., in Palsgr., 1054. The sayd xii signes … ben devided by foure triplicites.
1584. R. Scot, Discov. Witchcr., XIII. vii. (1886), 243. In Aries, Leo, and Sagittarie is a certain triplicitie.
1650. R. Gell, Serm., 8 Aug., 45. Talk not to them of fiery, aiery, watry, earthly triplicities.
1815. Scott, Guy M., iii. I will calculate his nativity according to the rule of the ‘Triplicities,’ as recommended by Pythagoras, Hippocrates, Diocles, and Avicenna.
1855. Smedley, etc., Occult Sciences, 307. The Four Triplicities is another distribution of the twelve signs into groups of three.
† b. fig. or allusively. Obs.
1573. G. Harvey, Letter-bk. (Camden), 140. So many influences and triplicityes of loove.
1647. Husbandman’s Plea agst. Tithes, 70. The fiery triplicitie … of Bishops, Priests, and Deacons.
1680. Hon. Cavalier, 15. The Pope, the Fanatick, and the Turk, that Fiery Triplicity of the World.
