Dictionary

three-way en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• (US) audio

Etymology

The sense referring to a serving of Cincinnati chili was coined in the 1920s by Tom and John Kiradjieff, Slavic-Macedonian immigrants to Cincinnati, for their Empress Chili chain. Doublet of trivia.

Meanings

1. (attributive, not-comparable) Relating to three different directions.
   • a three-way valve
   • a three-way junction
   • Three-aspect colour-light signal with three-way junction indicator, Bow Junction, Eastern Region 1951 April, “British Railway Signalling since 1925”, in Railway Magazine, number 600, page 229, photo caption:

Deriveds

three-way stop · three-way girl · three-way switch

Translations (4)

fi kolmisuuntainen (in three directions) · es de/en tres vías (in three directions) · nb treveis (in three directions) · pl potrójny (in three directions)

three-way en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (US) audio

Etymology

The sense referring to a serving of Cincinnati chili was coined in the 1920s by Tom and John Kiradjieff, Slavic-Macedonian immigrants to Cincinnati, for their Empress Chili chain. Doublet of trivia.

Meanings

1. Sexual activity involving three individuals.
   • Supermodel Jenny Shimizu provides mechanic tips (and hints at a previous three-way with Naomi Campbell and Linda Evangelista). 2024 February 13, Wendy Syfret, “Hi Octane: Sofia Coppola’s starry 90s series feels like a gen X fever dream”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:
   • Is a three-way with a 21-year-old a bad idea for Richard's birthday? 2002 February 3, Allan Heinberg, “A ‘Vogue’ Idea”, in Sex and the City, season 4, episode 17, spoken by Samantha:
   • But how many men will actually admit to having had a three-way with another man and one woman? 2007, Lainie Speiser, Threesomes: For Couples Who Want to Know More, page 22:
   • A guy Julian and you had a three-way with millions of years ago. I used to watch you guys screw through the keyhole sometimes. 1992, Dennis Cooper, Frisk, page 117:
   • I had a three-way with two other women in my class. 1995, Deborah Abbott, Ellen Farmer, From Wedded Wife to Lesbian Life: Stories of Transformation, page 263:
2. (Cincinnati) A serving of Cincinnati chili with spaghetti and cheese.
3. Synonym of three-card monte.

Forms

Coordinates

six-way · five-way · four-way

Hyponyms

FFM · MMF

Synonyms

three-card monte · ménage à trois · threesome