Defn: The third tone of the scale. See Mediant.

4. A sequence of three playing cards of the same suit. Tierce of ace, king, queen, is called tierce-major.

5. (Fencing)

Defn: A position in thrusting or parrying in which the wrist and nails are turned downward.

6. (R. C. Ch.)

Defn: The third hour of the day, or nine a.m.; one of the canonical hours; also, the service appointed for that hour.

TIERCE
Tier*cé", a. Etym: [F.] (Her.)

Defn: Divided into three equal parts of three different tinctures; — said of an escutcheon.

TIERCEL; TIERCELET Tier"cel, Tierce"let, n. Etym: [OE. tercel, tercelet, F. tiercelet, a dim. of (assumed) tiercel, or LL. tertiolus, dim. fr. L. tertius the third; — so called, according to some, because every third bird in the nest is a male, or, according to others, because the male is the third part less than female. Cf. Tercel.] (Falconry)

Defn: The male of various falcons, esp. of the peregrine; also, the male of the goshawk. Encyc. Brit.