Etymology: (1400–50; late ME < L ternārius made up of three. See tern2, -ary)
Definition of 'ternary'
Princeton's WordNet
1. (adj)three, 3, III, trio, threesome, tierce, leash, troika, triad, trine, trinity, ternary, ternion, triplet, tercet, terzetto, trey, deuce-ace the cardinalnumber that is the sum of one and one and one
2. (adj)ternary, treble, triple, triplex having three units or components or elements "a ternary operation"; "a treble row of red beads"; "overcrowding made triple sessions necessary"; "triple time has three beats per measure"; "triplex windows"
Definition of 'ternary'
Webster Dictionary
1. (adj)ternary proceeding by threes; consisting of three; as, the ternary number was anciently esteemed a symbol of perfection, and held in greatveneration
2. (adj)ternary containing, or consisting of, three different parts, as elements, atoms, groups, or radicals, which are regarded as having different functions or relations in the molecule; thus, sodic hydroxide, NaOH, is a ternarycompound
Definitions of ternary 
