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ternary (adj.)[ternary 词源字典]: "threefold," early 15c., from Late Latin ternarius "consisting of three," from terni "three by three," from ter "thrice," which is related to tres "three" (see three).[ternary etymology, ternary origin, 英语词源]
Terpsichore (n.): the muse of the dance, Greek Terpsikhore, literally "enjoyment of dance," from terpein "to delight" (from PIE root *terp- "to satisfy;" cognates: Sanskrit trpyati "takes one's fill," Lithuanian tarpstu "to thrive, prosper") + khoros "dance, chorus" (see chorus).
terpsichorean (adj.): "pertaining to dancing," 1869, literally "of Terpsichore," from Latinized form of Greek Terpsikhore, muse of dancing and dramatic chorus (see Terpsichore). Hence theatrical slang terp "stage dancer, chorus girl" (1937).
terr (n.): Rhodesian slang abbreviation of terrorist, 1976, used in reference to guerrilla fighting against white minority government.
terra (n.): Latin, literally "earth" (see terrain).
terra firma (n.): c. 1600, "part of the Italian mainland ruled by Venice," from Modern Latin terra firma, literally "firm land," from Latin terra "earth, land" (see terrain) + firma, fem. of firmus "strong, steadfast" (see firm (adj.)). Meaning "the land" (as distinct from "the sea") is first attested 1690s. Hakluyt and Sandys also used English firm (n.) to mean "the firm land, the mainland, terra firma."
terra incognita (n.): "unknown or unexplored region," 1610s, Latin, literally "unknown land," from terra (see terrain) + fem. of incognito.
terra-cotta (n.): 1722, from Italian terra cotta, literally "cooked earth," from terra "earth" (see terrain) + cotta "baked," from Latin cocta, fem. past participle of coquere (see cook (n.)). As a color name for brownish-red, attested from 1882.
terrace (n.): 1510s, "gallery, portico, balcony," later "flat, raised place for walking" (1570s), from Middle French terrace (Modern French terasse), from Old French terrasse (12c.) "platform (built on or supported by a mound of earth)," from Vulgar Latin *terracea, fem. of *terraceus "earthen, earthy," from Latin terra "earth, land" (see terrain). As a natural formation in geology, attested from 1670s. In street names, originally in reference to a row of houses along the top of a slope, but lately applied arbitrarily as a fancy name for an ordinary road. As a verb from 1610s, "to form into a terrace." Related: Terraced.
terrain (n.): 1727, "ground for training horses," from French terrain "piece of earth, ground, land," from Old French (12c.), from Vulgar Latin *terranum, from Latin terrenum "land, ground," noun use of neuter of terrenus "of earth, earthly," from terra "earth, land," literally "dry land" (as opposed to "sea"); from PIE root *ters- "to dry" (cognates: Sanskrit tarsayati "dries up," Avestan tarshu- "dry, solid," Greek teresesthai "to become or be dry," Latin torrere "dry up, parch," Gothic þaursus "dry, barren," Old High German thurri, German dürr, Old English þyrre "dry;" Old English þurstig "thirsty"). Meaning "tract of country, considered with regard to its natural features" first attested 1766.
terran (adj.): "of or pertaining to the planet Earth," 1881, in science fiction writing, from Latin terra (see terrain). Also used as a noun meaning "inhabitant of the Earth" (1953). An earlier form, terrene was used in Middle English in sense of "belonging to this world, earthly, secular, temporal" (c. 1300), later, "of the Earth as a planet" (1630s).
terrapin (n.): North American turtle, 1670s, earlier torope (1610s), from an Algonquian source (such as Abenaki turepe, Munsee (Delaware) tolpew "turtle"). Subsequently extended to allied species in South America, East Indies, China, North Africa.
terraqueous (adj.): "consisting of both land and water," 1650s, from comb. form of Latin terra "earth" (see terrain) + aqueous.
terrarium (n.): 1877, from Modern Latin, formed from Latin terra "land" (see terrain) + -arium, abstracted from aquarium.
terrazzo (n.): type of flooring material, 1893, from Italian terrazzo "terrace, balcony" (see terrace).
terrene (adj.): "earthly, terrestrial, of or pertaining to the earth," c. 1300, from Anglo-French terreine, Old French terrien, from Latin terrenus "on the earth, earthly," from terra "earth" (see terrain).
terrestrial (adj.): late 14c., "of or pertaining to the earth," with + -al (1) + from Latin terrestris "earthly, of the earth, on land," from terra "earth" (see terrain). Originally opposed to celestial; natural history sense of "living on land" is attested from 1630s. The noun meaning "a human being, a mortal" is recorded from 1590s.
terrible (adj.): late 14c., "causing terror, awe, or dread; frightful," from Old French terrible (12c.), from Latin terribilis "frightful," from terrere "fill with fear," from PIE root *tres- "to tremble" (cognates: Sanskrit trasati "trembles," Avestan tarshta "feared, revered," Greek treëin "to tremble," Lithuanian trišeti "to tremble," Old Church Slavonic treso "I shake," Middle Irish tarrach "timid"). Weakened sense of "very bad, awful" is first attested 1590s.
terribly (adv.): "dreadfully, so as to cause terror, in a horrible manner," mid-15c., from terrible + -ly (2). In the sense of "extremely" it is first recorded 1833; in the sense of "extremely badly" it dates from 1930.
terrier (n.): kind of dog, early 15c., from Old French chien terrier "terrier dog," literally "earth dog," from Medieval Latin terrarius "of earth," from Latin terra "earth" (see terrain). So called because the dogs pursue their quarry (foxes, badgers, etc.) into their burrows.