triple

Everyday

1. Triple means three times as much or as many. tree →
2. Triple means having three parts or happening three times, like a triple jump. tree →
3. To triple is to become or make three times bigger. tree →
4. (maths) A triple can be a group of three numbers, like a Pythagorean triple. tree →

In the lessons

In maths, to triple a number is to multiply it by 3: tripling 5 gives 15. In sport, the triple jump is hop, step and jump; a triple in baseball lets the batter reach third base. In everyday life a triple scoop ice cream has three scoops. Phrases: triple the amount, triple jump, triple-decker, triple-check.

Examples

• Triple 7 is 21. tree →
• The price of the toy tripled from £4 to £12. tree →
• I had a triple scoop ice cream! tree →
• She won the triple jump at sports day. tree →
• If you triple 10 metres, you get 30 metres. tree →
• A triple-decker sandwich has three layers. tree →
• Let's triple-check the answer before we hand it in. tree →
• 3, 4 and 5 make a Pythagorean triple. tree →

Note

Maths meaning: triple = × 3. Compare double (× 2) and quadruple (× 4). «Tripled» means the new amount is three times the old, so it went up by twice the old amount: 4 tripled is 12, an increase of 8. «Treble» is a similar word, used more in the UK.