# Trey

/ˈtɹeɪ/ (US) · /tɹˈeɪ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/trey
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. playing cards or dice

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

a playing card with three symbols on it, or a side of a die showing three spots.

For teachers: a playing card, die, or domino with three pips or the rank of three.

- He was lucky enough to draw a trey of hearts to complete his hand.
- The gambler watched the dice tumble across the felt, hoping for a trey to secure his narrow lead in the final round.

Usage: Commonly used in the context of poker or traditional dice games.

### 2. familial nickname

noun · CEFR C2 · Informal · American English

a nickname for a son who has the exact same name as his father and grandfather.

For teachers: a nickname for the third bearer of the same personal name within a family, typically denoted by the Roman numeral III.

- Since he was the third William in the family, everyone just called him Trey.
- The family tradition of naming the firstborn son after the patriarch led to the youngest being known simply as Trey to avoid confusion.

Usage: Often used as a proper noun or a familiar address.

### 3. basketball shot

noun · CEFR C2 · Informal · American English

a shot in basketball that is worth three points.

For teachers: a successful three-point field goal in basketball.

- The player hit a trey right at the buzzer to win the game.
- The shooting guard specialised in corner treys, providing the team with a reliable scoring option from beyond the arc.

Usage: Common in sports journalism and casual commentary.

### 4. old currency

noun · CEFR C2 · Archaic · Dialect · British English

an old Australian or British coin worth three pennies.

For teachers: a threepenny coin or the value of three pence.

- My grandfather kept an old silver trey in his collection of coins.
- Before decimalisation, a trey was a common sight in the pockets of Australian schoolchildren.

Teaching tip: This sense is largely obsolete and found mostly in historical contexts or among older speakers in Australia and the UK.

## Examples

- He rolled a trey and a four to win the game.
- The point guard stepped back behind the line and sank a trey to tie the score.
- The dealer flipped over a trey of hearts, completing the sequence and handing the pot to the quiet player in the corner.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.