Trieste \tre-'es-ta, tre-'est\ in full Free Territory of Trieste Former region, western Istria, southern Europe, surrounding and including the city of Trieste. It was occupied by Yugoslavia in 1945. The UN established it as a free territory in 1947. It was divided for administrative purposes into two zones: Zone A in the north, including the city, was under the British and Americans; Zone B in the south was under the Yugoslavs. In 1954 most of the northern zone was incorporated into Italy; the southern zone went to Yugoslavia.
Trieste ancient Tergeste Seaport city (pop., 2001 prelim.: 209,520), capital of Friuli-Venezia Giulia region, northeastern Italy. It lies at the head of the Adriatic Sea on the Gulf of Trieste. It was under Roman control from the 2nd century bc until the collapse of the empire; then it was under episcopal rule (948-1202). It placed itself in 1382 under Habsburg pro¬ tection and later became the prosperous main port of the Austro- Hungarian Empire. After World War I Trieste was ceded to Italy. Occupied by Germany in World War II and seized by Yugoslavia in 1945, it became the centre of the Free Territory of Trieste in 1947. Returned to Italy in 1954, it became the regional capital in 1963.
triggerfish Any of about 30 species (family Balistidae) of shallow- water marine fishes, found world¬ wide in tropical seas. Triggerfishes are deep-bodied, usually colourful fishes with large scales, high-set eyes, and three dorsal-fin spines, which they use for protection. When a triggerfish is threatened, it darts into a coral crevice and erects its large and strong first spine, which it locks in place with the second (the “trigger”); when the trigger is later withdrawn, the first snaps back down. Though generally considered edible, some cause food poisoning. The largest grow 2 ft (60 cm) long.
triglyceride \trl- , gli-s3-,rid\ Any of an important class of naturally occurring lipids, esters in which three molecules of fatty acids are linked to glycerol. The three fatty acids may be all the same kind or different kinds. The types of triglycerides in animals vary with the species and the fats in their food. In mammals they are stored in adipose tissue until needed and then broken down to the glycerol and fatty acids. Many vegetable triglycerides (oils) are liquid at room temperature, unlike those of ani¬ mals, and tend to contain a greater variety of fatty acids. In alkali, trig¬ lycerides break down to form glycerol and three molecules of soap (saponification).
trigonometric function X.tri-go-no-'me-trikV In mathematics, one of six functions (sine, cosine, tangent, cotangent, secant, and cosecant) that represent ratios of sides of right triangles. They are also known as the circular functions, since their values can be defined as ratios of the x and y coordinates (see coordinate system) of points on a circle of radius 1 that correspond to angles in standard positions. Such values have been tabu¬ lated and programmed into scientific calculators and computers. This allows trigonometry to be easily applied to surveying, engineering, and navigation problems in which one of a right triangle’s acute angles and the length of a side are known and the lengths of the other sides are to be found. The fundamental trigonometric identity is sin 2 0 + cos 2 0 = 1, in which 0 is an angle. Certain intrinsic qualities of the trigonometric func¬ tions make them useful in mathematical analysis. In particular, their deriva¬ tives form patterns useful for solving differential equations.
trigonometry Mathematical discipline dealing with the relationships between the sides and angles of triangles. Literally, it means triangle mea¬ surement, though its applications extend far beyond geometry. It emerged as a rigorous discipline in the 15th century, when the demand for accu¬ rate surveying techniques and navigational methods led to its use for the “solution” of right triangles, or the calculation of the lengths of two sides of a right triangle given one of its acute angles and the length of one side. The solution can be found by using ratios in the form of the trigonomet¬ ric functions.
Trilling, Lionel (b. July 4, 1905, New York, N.Y., U.S.—d. Nov. 5, 1975, New York, N.Y.) U.S. literary critic and teacher. He taught at Columbia University from 1931 until his death. His collections of liter¬ ary essays include The Liberal Imagination (1950), Beyond Culture (1965), Sincerity and Authenticity (1972), and Mind in the Modern World (1972). He was one of the best-known American literary critics of his time. His wife was the critic and writer Diana Trilling (1905-96).
trillium Vtri-le-omV Any of about 25 species of spring-flowering peren¬ nial herbaceous plants that make up the genus Trillium in the uly family, native to North America and Asia. Whorls of oval leaves, flower parts, and fruits are arranged in groups of three. Each solitary white, greenish- white, yellow, pink, or purple flower is borne on a short stalk that arises from the whorl of leaves. Many species are cultivated in wildflower gar¬ dens. Wild trillium (also called wake-robin or birthroot) is a protected species.
trilobite Vtrl-lo-.bltX Any of a group of ovate arthropods (subphylum Trilobita) that came to dominate the seas c. 540 million years ago and became extinct c. 245 million years ago. Trilobites had a chitinous exoskeleton and three body lobes: a raised middle lobe with a lower lobe on each side. The head, thorax, and tail were segmented; each segment bore two appendages. The forward- most appendages were sense and feeding organs. Most species had two compound eyes, though some were eyeless. Some were predators, others were scavengers, and still oth¬ ers probably ate plankton. Paradox- ides harlani, found near Boston, grew to 18 in. (45 cm) long and may have weighed 10 lbs (4.5 kg). Other species were small.
Trimble, David orig. William David Trimble (b. Oct. 15, 1944, Belfast, N.Ire.) Former first minister of Northern Ireland and corecipient with John Hume of the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1998. Trimble was elected to the British Parliament in 1990 and became leader of the Ulster Union¬ ist Party (UUP) in 1995. He represented the UUP in multiparty peace talks beginning in September 1997. These talks, which included members of Sinn Fein, the political wing of the Irish Republican Army (IRA), culminated in the Good Friday Agreement of April 1998, which aimed to restore self- government in Northern Ireland. Defying opposition from hard-line unionists, he signed the agreement and successfully campaigned for its acceptance in referenda in Northern Ireland and in Ireland. In subsequent elections to the new Northern Ireland Assembly, he was elected first min¬ ister. He resigned as first minister in 2001, following a conflict with the IRA over decommissioning (disarmament), though he returned to gov¬ ernment later that year after decommissioning commenced; the post of
Triggerfish (Batistes conspicillus).
DOUGLAS FAULKNER
Trilobite
LESLIE JACKMAN-NATURAL HISTORY PHOTOGRAPHIC AGENCY
© 2006 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
1938 I trimurti ► Triple Entente
first minister was suspended the following year. In 2005 he lost his seat in the British Parliament and subsequently resigned as leader of the UUP.
trimurti \tri-'mur-te\ In Hinduism, the triad of the three great gods: Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. Scholars consider the trimurti doctrine an attempt to reconcile different monotheistic approaches with one another and with the philosophic doctrine of ultimate reality. In trimurti symbol¬ ism, the three gods are collapsed into a single form with three faces. Each god is in charge of an aspect of creation, with Brahma as creator, Vishnu as preserver, and Shiva as destroyer; however, some sects ascribe all aspects of creation to their deity of choice. Though sometimes called the Hindu Trinity, trimurti has little similarity to the Holy Trinity of Chris¬ tianity.