three Rs

See also: three R's

English

Alternative forms

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)

  1. 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.
  2. The basic education any child can expect to receive, but not necessarily limited to reading, writing and arithmetic.
  3. (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
    1. (sustainability) Reduce, reuse and recycle.

Translations

References
  1. “three R's”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.

Further reading

Anagrams
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