Other forms: triplets
A triplet is one of three children born at the same birth. Identical triplets, a set of triplets, the triplets turned four.
They are far rarer than twins and much likelier with fertility treatment, which is why numbers rose sharply and then fell as clinics moved to transferring one embryo. In music a triplet is three notes played in the time of two.
1nountripletOne of three children born at the same birth.
“She gave birth to triplets, two girls and a boy.”
2nounnotesThree notes played in the time of two.
“The piano part has a quick triplet in the third bar that is hard to play evenly.”
triplet is one of three.
Triple plus -et, on the model of doublet. The musical sense followed the human one.
Proto-Indo-European
*tréyes
Latin
triplus
Middle English
triple
English
triple
English, today
triplet
From triple + et. triple comes from Middle English triple (also þripell), from Latin triplus. a doublet of treble.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA