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tertium quid. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
tertium quid, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
tertium quid in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
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English
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin tertium quid (“third thing”).
Noun
tertium quid (plural tertium quids)
- Something intermediate between two classifications.
- A third party in a situation, such as one who comes between two potential romantic partners; a "gooseberry" or "third wheel".
1888, Rudyard Kipling, At the Pit's Mouth:Once upon a time there was a Man and his Wife and a Tertium Quid.