three-year-old

UK: ˌθriː jɪər ˈəʊld | US: ˌθriː jɪr ˈoʊld

Definition

  1. adj. describing something or someone that is three years in age

  2. n. a child, animal, or object that is three years old

Structure
three <number 3>year <time unit>old <aged>
Etymology

The term "three-year-old" is a straightforward compound adjective/noun formed by combining "three" (from Old English þrīe), "year" (from Old English ġēar), and "old" (from Old English eald). It follows a common English pattern for age descriptors (e.g., "five-year plan," "ten-month-old baby"). The hyphenation clarifies that the three words function as a single unit modifying a noun.

Examples

  1. The three-year-old child proudly showed her drawing to the class.

  2. We adopted a three-year-old rescue dog from the shelter.

  3. This three-year-old laptop still runs smoothly.

  4. The museum offers free admission for three-year-olds.

  5. Their three-year-old car already has 50,000 miles on it.