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Tertiary vs Ternary - What's the difference?

tertiary | ternary |

In chemistry terms the difference between tertiary and ternary

is that tertiary is possessing some quality in the third degree; having been subjected to the substitution of three atoms or radicals while ternary is 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.

As adjectives the difference between tertiary and ternary

is that tertiary is of third rank or order; subsequent while ternary is made up of three things; treble, triadic, triple, triplex.

As nouns the difference between tertiary and ternary

is that tertiary is a tertiary feather while ternary is a group of three things; a trio, threesome or tierce.

As a proper noun Tertiary

is the first part of the Cenozoic era when modern flora and mammals appeared.

tertiary

English

Adjective

(-)
  • Of third rank or order; subsequent.
  • (chemistry) Possessing some quality in the third degree; having been subjected to the substitution of three atoms or radicals.
    • a tertiary alcohol, amine, or salt
  • (zoology, of quills) Growing on the innermost joint of a bird's wing; tertial.

    • Derived terms

    * tertiary care

    Coordinate terms

    (terms coordinate to tertiary) * primary (1) * secondary (2) * quaternary (4) * quinary (5) * senary (6) * septenary (7) * octonary (8) * nonary (9) * denary (10) * duodenary (12) * vigenary (20)

    See also

    * cubic

    Noun

    (tertiaries)
  • A tertiary feather.
  • A member of a Roman Catholic third order - the Franciscans, Dominicans and Carmelites among others.

    • ternary

    English

    Adjective

    (-)
  • Made up of three things; treble, triadic, triple, triplex
  • Arranged in groups of three
  • (mathematics) To the base three
  • * Donald Knuth, The Art of Computer Programming
    • Perhaps the prettiest number system of all is the balanced ternary notation.
  • (mathematics) Having three variables
  • (chemistry) 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.
    • Sodic hydroxide, NaOH, is a ternary compound.

    Synonyms

    * trinary

    Derived terms

    * ternary alloy * ternary code * ternary complex * ternary compound * ternary computer * ternary diagram * ternary expansion * ternary form * ternary Golay code * ternary Golay conjecture * ternary incremental representation * ternary logic * ternary name * ternary notation * ternary numeral system * ternary operation * ternary operator * ternary plot * ternary pulse code modulation * ternary quantic * ternary search * ternary search tree * ternary signal * ternary system * ternary tree

    See also

    * unary * binary

    Noun

    (ternaries)
  • A group of three things; a trio, threesome or tierce