three-way

See also: threeway

English

Etymology

The sense referring to a serving of Cincinnati chili was coined in the 1920s by Tom and John Kiradjieff, Slavic-Macedonian immigrants to Cincinnati, for their Empress Chili chain.

Adjective

three-way (not comparable)

1. (attributive) relating to three different directions.

   a three-way valve

Derived terms

• three-way stop
• three-way switch

Translations

in three directions

• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: treveis

• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}

Noun

three-way (plural three-ways)

1. Sexual activity involving three persons; a threesome; a ménage à trois.
   • 2007, Lainie Speiser, Threesomes: For Couples Who Want to Know More, page 22:

     But how many men will actually admit to having had a three-way with another man and one woman?

   • 1995, Deborah Abbott, Ellen Farmer, From Wedded Wife to Lesbian Life: Stories of Transformation, page 263.

     I had a three-way with two other women in my class.

   • 1992, Dennis Cooper, Frisk, page 117:

     A guy Julian and you had a three-way with millions of years ago. I used to watch you guys screw through the keyhole sometimes.

2. (Cincinnati) A serving of Cincinnati chili with spaghetti and cheese.

Coordinate terms

• four-way
• five-way
• six-way

References

• “three-way”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.