The phrase is a loan from French meaning " household of three". A form of polyamory , contemporary arrangements are sometimes identified as a throuple , [1] thruple , [2] or triad. Grand Duchess Anna Leopoldovna , regent of Russia from to , was involved simultaneously in affairs with the Saxon ambassador Count Moritz zu Lynar and her lady-in-waiting Mengden. She was later overthrown in a coup.
Top definition. The French phrase literally translates as "household of three". It is also used to refer to an arrangement where three people share sexual relations, and this has become the predominant definition. Some also use it to describe any sex act involving three people, otherwise known as a threesome. In most cases the husbands take a vicarious pleasure in their wives' enjoyment, or enjoy watching, hearing, or knowing about their wives' adventures. Husbands may also take part by engaging in threesomes, or arranging dates for their wives.