I. Three: “duas, tris minas auferunt,” Plaut. Bacch. 4, 4, 7: “tria corpora, Tris species tam dissimiles,” Lucr. 5, 93 sq.: “horum trium generum quodvis,” Cic. Rep. 1, 26, 42: “hoc loquor de tribus his generibus,” id. ib. 1, 28, 44: “tribus modis, uno ... altero ... tertio ...,” Cic. Div. 1, 30, 64: “fundos decem et tres reliquit,” id. Rosc. Am. 7, 20.—
II. To denote a small number: “(sermo) tribus verbis,” of three words, Plaut. Mil. 4, 2, 29; so, “verbis,” id. Trin. 4. 2, 121; cf. Ter. Phorm. 4, 3, 33; Ov. P. 4, 3, 26: ego tribus primis verbis, quid noster Paetus; “at ille, etc.,” at the first three words, Cic. Fam. 9, 19, 1: “haec omnia in tribus verbis,” Quint. 9, 4, 78: “chartis,” Cat. 1, 5: “suavia,” id. 79, 4: “cum tribus illa bibit,” Mart. 13, 124, 2.