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Tierce vs Fierce - What's the difference?

tierce | fierce |

As adjectives the difference between tierce and fierce

is that tierce is (heraldry) divided into three equal parts of three different tinctures; said of an escutcheon while fierce is extremely violent, severe, ferocious or savage.

tierce

English

(wikipedia tierce)

Noun

(en noun)
  • A cask whose content is one third of a pipe; that is, forty-two wine gallons; also, a liquid measure of forty-two wine, or thirty-five imperial, gallons.
  • * 1851 ,
    • Have an eye to the molasses tierce , Mr. Stubb; it was a little leaky, I thought.
  • * 1882 , James Edwin Thorold Rogers, A History of Agriculture and Prices in England , p. 205:
    • Again, by 28 Hen. VIII, cap. 14, it is re-enacted that the tun of wine should contain 252 gallons, a butt of Malmsey 126 gallons, a pipe 126 gallons, a tercian or puncheon 84 gallons, a hogshead 63 gallons, a tierce 41 gallons, a barrel 31.5 gallons, a rundlet 18.5 gallons.
  • A cask larger than a barrel, and smaller than a hogshead or a puncheon, in which salt provisions, rice, etc., are packed for shipment.
  • (music) The third tone of the scale. See mediant.
  • (card games) A sequence of three playing cards of the same suit. Tierce of ace, king and queen is called tierce-major.
  • (fencing) The third defensive position, with the sword hand held at waist height, and the tip of the sword at head height.
  • (heraldiccharge) An ordinary that covers the left or right third of the field of a shield or flag.
  • (religion, Roman Catholic) The third hour of the day, or nine a. m,; one of the canonical hours; also, the service appointed for that hour.
  • (obsolete) One sixtieth of a second, i.e., the third in a series of fractional parts in a sexagesimal number system. (Also known as a third.)

    • Anagrams

    * ----

    fierce

    English

    Adjective

    (er)
  • Extremely violent, severe, ferocious or savage.
    • A fierce storm battered the coast.
  • Resolute or strenuously active.
    • We made a fierce attempt to escape.
  • Threatening in appearance or demeanor.
    • The lion gave a fierce roar.
  • (slang, Ireland, rural) very, excellent.
    • It was fierce cold.
    Q: "How was the party last night?" A: "Fierce !"
  • (slang, US) Of exceptional quality, exhibiting boldness or chutzpah.
    • Tyra said to strike a pose and make it fierce .

    Derived terms

    * something fierce

    Anagrams

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