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trio

[tree-oh]

Origin

noun, plural tri·os.

a musical composition for three voices or instruments.

a company of three singers or players.

any group of three persons or things.

a subordinate division of a minuet, scherzo, march, etc., usually in a contrasted key and style (perhaps originally written for three instruments or in three parts).

Origin:
1715–25; < Italian, equivalent to tri- tri- + (du)o two

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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Trio is always a great word to know.

So is ninnyhammer. Does it mean:

a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes.

a fool or simpleton; ninny.

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Collins

World English Dictionary

trio (ˈtriːəʊ)

—n , pl trios
1.	a group of three people or things
2.	music
	a. a group of three singers or instrumentalists or a piece of music composed for such a group
	b. a subordinate section in a scherzo, minuet, etc, that is contrastive in style and often in a related key
3.	piquet three cards of the same rank

[C18: from Italian, ultimately from Latin trēs three; compare duo]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Etymonline

Word Origin & History

trio

1724, from Fr. trio (c.1600), from It. trio, from tri- "three;" patterned on duo.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage

Abbreviations & Acronyms

TRIO
Transplant Recipients International Organization

Encyclopedia Britannica

Encyclopedia

trio

a musical composition for three instruments or voices, or a group of three performers.