English

Noun

tercio ‎(plural tercios)

1. (bullfighting) Each of the three stages of a bullfight - with the vara, the banderilla and finally the death
2. An infantry formation made up of pikemen, swordsmen and arquebusiers or musketeers in a mutually supportive formation

Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin tertius.

Adjective

tercio m ‎(feminine singular tercia, masculine plural tercios, feminine plural tercias)

1. third

Usage notes

• This word is used to express the denominator of a fraction:

Un tercio del total de la población sufre de obesidad.

The third [part] of the population is obese.

• The adjective tercero can also be used in this sense, but it should be accompanied by an auxiliary noun such as parte:

Me comí la tercera parte del pastel.

I ate the third part of the cake.

Noun

tercio m ‎(plural tercios)

1. third
2. (bullfighting) tercio

Derived terms

• cambiar de tercio

Verb

tercio

1. First-person singular (yo) present indicative form of terciar.