triada group of three, as notes in a chordNot to be confused with:triage ? sorting according to quality; the assignment of degrees of urgency to decide the order of treatment of injuries, illnesses, etc.Abused, Confused, & Misused Words by Mary Embree Copyright © 2007, 2013 by Mary Embreetriadleft to right: C major, E minor, and D diminished triadstri·ad (tr???d?, -?d)n.1. A group of three.2. Music A chord of three tones, especially one built on a given root tone plus a major or minor third and a perfect fifth.3. A section of a Pindaric ode consisting of the strophe, antistrophe, and epode.[Late Latin trias, triad-, from Greek, the number three; see trei- in Indo-European roots.]tri·ad?ic (tr?-?d??k) adj.American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.triad (?tra?æd) n1. a group of three; trio2. (Chemistry) chem an atom, element, group, or ion that has a valency of three3. (Music, other) music a three-note chord consisting of a note and the third and fifth above it4. (Literary & Literary Critical Terms) an aphoristic literary form used in medieval Welsh and Irish literature5. (Military) the US strategic nuclear force, consisting of intercontinental ballistic missiles, submarine-launched ballistic missiles, and bombers[C16: from Late Latin trias, from Greek; related to Greek treis three] tri?adic adj ?triadism nTriad (?tra?æd) n (Law) any of several Chinese secret societies, esp one involved in criminal activities, such as drug traffickingCollins English Dictionary ? Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014tri?ad (?tra? æd, -?d) n. 1. a group of three, esp. of three closely related persons or things. 2. a. an element, atom, or group having a valence of three. b. a group of three closely related compounds or elements, as isomers or halides. 3. the basic chord of a musical tonality, consisting of a tonic, a third, and a fifth. [1540?50;