triad: Meaning and Definition of

tri•ad

Pronunciation: (trī'ad, -ud), [key]
— n.
  1. a group of three, esp. of three closely related persons or things.
    1. an element, atom, or group having a valence of three. Cf. monad (def. 2), dyad (def. 3).
    2. a group of three closely related compounds or elements, as isomers or halides.
  2. a chord of three tones, esp. one consisting of a given tone with its major or minor third and its perfect, augmented, or diminished fifth.
  3. (cap.) the three categories of strategic-nuclear-weapons delivery systems: bombers, land-based missiles, and missile-firing submarines.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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