tertian
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tertian
Where it comes from
From Middle English tertiān, terciān, terciāne (adjective and noun), originally often as part of the collocation fever cum terciane, after Latin febris cum tertiānā. Compare the "third" essence of tertiary. By surface analysis, terti- + -an.
adjective tercian
- Characterised by paroxysms recurring every other day (that is, every third day by inclusive reckoning).
- Pertaining to the mean-tone temperament, in which major thirds are perfectly in tune.
noun tertians · tercian
- A tertian fever. And although we feele it not, it is not to bee doubted, if a continuall ague may in the end suppresse our mind, a tertian will also (according to her measure and proportion) breed some alteration in it.
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A cask of a certain size; its volume used as a measure of capacity (one-third of a tun's).
Similar: puncheon
- A Jesuit going through tertianship.
Talk about this word "tertian." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/tertian. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. tertian. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/tertian "tertian." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/tertian.Cite this
@misc{tertian_2026,
title = {tertian},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/tertian},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
