three Rs
See also: three R's
English
Alternative forms
- three R's
Etymology
From the initial consonant in the pronunciation of reading, (w)riting, (a)rithmetic (aphetically), 1820s.[1]
Pronunciation
Audio (AU) (file)
Noun
the three Rs pl (plural only)
- The basic education received in primary schools. Literally; reading, writing and arithmetic.
- 1875, Louisa M[ay] Alcott, chapter 8, in Eight Cousins:
- “You shall teach me, and when I am a woman we will set up a school where nothing but the three R's shall be taught, and all the children live on oatmeal, and the girls have waists a yard round,” said Rose, with a sudden saucy smile dimpling her cheeks.
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- The basic education any child can expect to receive, but not necessarily limited to reading, writing and arithmetic.
- (by extension) The basic precepts of any subject matter.
- 2002, Kids are Worth It!: Giving Your Child the Gift of Inner Discipline, by Barbara Coloroso
- Chapter 11: The Big C and the Three Rs: Chores, Relaxation, Recreation, and Rebellion
- (sustainability) Reduce, reuse and recycle.
- 2002, Kids are Worth It!: Giving Your Child the Gift of Inner Discipline, by Barbara Coloroso
Translations
reading, writing and arithmetic
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References
- “three R's”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary
Further reading
the three Rs on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
Anagrams
- Herters