tri-D n.
a device or system capable of transmitting or displaying a three dimensional image or video; (also) a three-dimensional image or video; cf. slightly earlier three-D n.
Also in form treedy, tri-di, tri-dee.
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1950
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James Blish
bibliography
Get a picture of him somewhere, a tri-di if they have them here.
Okie in Astounding Science Fiction Apr. 90/2 -
1951
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Damon Knight
bibliography
He barked at Vargas, ‘Turn on the tri-D!’ Vargas stumbled over to his desk and obeyed. A five foot disc set into a low platform on his right glowed faintly, sparked and then spat a vertical stream of color. The image steadied and became the all too convincing three-dimensional replica of a portly man with a bulbous nose and long gray hair.
Don't Live in the Past in Galaxy Science Fiction June 59/1 -
1953
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Pat Jones
bibliography
Hollywood, bidding fair to becoming a ghost town with the advent of tv, is now letting out its stays to breathe one hearty sigh of relief before settling down to the serious business of grinding out tri-di movies.
Video-Technics in Startling Stories June 9/1 -
1953
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Pat Jones
bibliography
Tri-di is nothing new to the pages of science fiction, and depending on how long it takes for tv engineers to catch up with Hollywood and Startling Stories, the movie-makers can count on a few green years while the public sifts out its preferences in triple takes.
Video-Technics in Startling Stories June 9/1 -
1953
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Pat Jones
bibliography
Out of the Victorian era’s popular toy, the stereopticon, the British outfit called Stereo-Techniques has developed its tri-di technique. Cinemascope, the Twentieth Century-Fox entry in the tri-di derby, is a simple color film device which simulates third dimension on a concave screen giving a panoramic effect. Who'll win the tri-di sweepstakes is anybody’s guess.
Video-Technics in Startling Stories June 9/2 -
1954
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Frederik Pohl
bibliography
It was an enormous glaringly new mansion, bigger even than Morey’s former house, stuffed to bursting with bulging sofas and pianos and massive mahogany chairs and tri-D sets and bedrooms and drawing rooms and breakfast rooms and nurseries.
The Midas Plague in Galaxy Science Fiction Apr. 49/1 -
1960
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Philip José Farmer
bibliography
What a panic that would create! People running to stare at this monster seen now only on tridi or in the zoo!
A Few Miles in Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction Oct. 107/2 -
1961
Andre Norton
The animal in the tri-dee was clearly depicted life-size, the usual procedure for smaller beasts.
Catseye (1962) 33 -
1962
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Poul Anderson
bibliography
On his back he carried a lumpy metal cylinder; the harness included a plastic panel across his chest, with switches, knobs, and three meters. Like some science fiction hero on the 3D.
Shield in Fantastic Stories of Imagination June 63/2 -
1966
Larry Niven
She leaned forward and turned on the tridee screen in the seat ahead.
World of Ptavvs (1977) 46 -
1966
Keith Laumer
The president was here just now. He came in, looking just like the Tri-D, only older, and he came over and looked at me kind of like I looked at him.
in Analog Science Fiction/Science Fact Mar. 147/1 -
1966
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Roger Zelazny
bibliography
After appearing on tri-dee a couple times [sic] , sounding off about interstellar culture, and flashing her white, white teeth, she picked up a flush contract.
This Moment of the Storm in Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction June 22/2 -
1969
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James Tiptree, Jr.
bibliography
He pointed to the tridi where a large ostrich-like fowl was brandishing his pinions and lofting himself easily as he pranced about.
Parimutuel Planet in Galaxy Magazine Jan. 64/1 -
1969
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James Tiptree, Jr.
bibliography
Interest in their home system was at fever pitch. The secretariat had arranged tridi FTL coverage from underneath the transparent track, so that viewers could observe the cell-by-cell approach of the slug's feet to the line.
Parimutuel Planet in Galaxy Magazine Jan. 76/2 -
1970
Andre Norton
Now—I want a run-through of the Ruhkarv report in comparison with the tridees from Xcothal. [Ibid. 183] Kosgro switched the three through the air and thrust in and out with them as I had seen swords used in tridee tapes made on primitive worlds.
Dread Companion (1984) 10 -
1979
John Varley
bibliography
‘Haven’t you ever seen The Sea Witch?’ ‘I don’t know. Has it been on the treedie?’ ‘It’s a flat movie starring good ol’ John Wayne.’
Titan in Analog Science Fiction/Science Fact Feb. ix. 133/2 -
1982
Anne McCaffrey
Her quarters were as good as the guest facility in the Shankill Base, nothing gaudy but certainly substantial: bed, table, chairs, writing surface, tri-d screen, the customary audio-visual terminals.
Crystal Singer 85 -
2011
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China Miéville
bibliography
Scile spent hours, many hours, listening to recordings of Ariekei speaking, watching trids and flats of encounters between them and the Ambassadors.
Embassytown 88
Research requirements
antedating 1950
Earliest cite
James Blish, in Astounding
Research History
Looking for all variants (including capitalization variants) of 'treedy', 'tri-D', 'tri-di', and 'tri-de(e)'.
The OED has cites for tri-D (Adams, 1979), and Tri-D (Julian May, 1981). Katrina Campbell submitted a 1982 cite for the form "tri-d" from Anne McCaffrey's "Crystal Singer".
Mike Christie submitted a 1964 cite for the form "tri-D" from Frank Herbert's "Dune World".
Mike Christie submitted a 1954 cite for the form "tri-D" from Frederik Pohl's "The Midas Plague".
Katrina Campbell submitted a cite for the form "TRI-D" from a reprint of Anne McCaffrey's "To Ride Pegasus"; Mike Christie verified the cite in the 1973 first edition, and also located a cite for the form "Tri-D" from the 1973 first magazine appearance.
Cory Panshin submitted a cite for the form "tri-D" from a reprint of Damon Knight's "Don't Live in the Past"; Mike Christie verified the 1951 original appearance.
Katrina Campbell submitted a cite for the form "Tri-D" from a 1992 reprint of Anne McCaffrey and Jody Lynn Nye's 1990 "The Death of Sleep".
Malcom Farmer submitted a cite for the form "Tri-D" from a reprint of Keith Laumer's "Prototaph"; Mike Christie verified the cite in the 1966 original magazine appearance.
The OED has a 1955 cite from Frederik Pohl for "tri-di".
Malcolm Farmer submitted a cite for "tri-di" from a reprint of James White's "Trouble With Emily"; Mike Christie verified the cite in the 1958 original magazine appearance.
Fred Galvin submitted a 1953 cite for "tri-di" from an article by Pat Jones in Startling Stories.
Mike Christie submitted a 1964 cite for "tri-di" from Harry Harrison's "The Starsloggers".
Enoch Forrester submitted a cite for "tri-di" from a reprint of James Blish's "Earthman, Come Home"; Mike Christie verified the cite in the original 1950 magazine appearance.
Malcolm Farmer submitted a cite for "tridi" from a reprint of James Tiptree's "Parimutuel Planet"; Mike Christie verified the cite in the 1969 first magazine appearance.
Dan Tilque submitted a cite for "tridi" from a reprint of Philip Jose Farmer's "A Few Miles"; Mike Christie verified it in the 1960 magazine appearance.
Malcolm Farmer submitted a 1966 cite for "tridi" from Kenneth Bulmer's "Draft Dodger".
Malcolm Farmer submitted a 1966 cite for "tridi" from Fred Saberhagen's "Mr. Jester".
Mike Christie submitted a 1947 cite from Lewis Padgett's "Tomorrow and Tomorrow", but it appears to be an abbreviation for "three-dimensional" rather than a reference to a broadcasting system analogous to TV. We would still like to antedate 1950.
Mike Christie submitted a cite from a later printing of John Varley's "Titan"; Jesse Sheidlower verified it in the original publication in the February 1979 "Analog".
Bee Ostrowsky submitted a 2011 cite from China Miéville's "Embassytown".
Last modified 2024-11-17 00:09:25
In the compilation of some
entries, HDSF has drawn extensively on corresponding entries
in OED.