trigram
/ˈtraɪɡræm/
noun
- A group of three letters, especially one used as a unit in cryptography or linguistics.
- The cryptographer analyzed trigram frequencies to break the code.
- Linguists study trigrams to understand common letter patterns in a language.
- In English, the trigram 'the' appears very frequently in texts.
- A symbol consisting of three lines, especially in the I Ching (an ancient Chinese text), where each trigram represents a natural force or concept.
- She consulted the I Ching and drew a trigram that symbolized water.
- The trigram for heaven consists of three solid lines.
- Each hexagram in the I Ching is made up of two trigrams.