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trice

Archaic Terms
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

A very short time; also, to haul up swiftly—dual meaning supports both temporal brevity and nautical or physical action.

Detailed Definition
As noun, “trice” means instant—“in a trice”; as verb, quick lift. In poetry, both appear: decisions in a trice, tricing sails. The duality enriches urgency. Poets use it to explore how speed defines action, where trice marks immediacy or efficiency, reinforcing themes of time, readiness, and the moment’s power in narrative and dramatic contexts.
Example
Example in poetry:
“He bound the wound in a trice,” in a swift action; In Shakespeare’s Hamlet: “I’ll do’t in a trice”; “She solved the riddle in a trice”; “The storm passed in a trice”; “In a trice, joy replaced sorrow”; The poet wrote the sonnet in a trice.
Additional Notes
“Trice” as “in a trice” means instantly; as verb, it means to hoist quickly (nautical); in action poetry, “triced aloft” conveys swiftness, while temporal use emphasizes suddenness—ideal for surprise or revelation.
Also Known As
instant moment jerk
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