"used till so common as to have lost its novelty and interest," 1540s, from Latin tritus "worn, oft-trodden," of language "much-used, familiar, commonplace," past-participle adjective from terere "to rub, wear down" (from PIE root *tere- (1) "to rub, turn"). Related: Tritely; triteness.
the trite metaphor `hard as nails'
his remarks were trite and commonplace
triskelion
trismus
trisomy
trist
Tristram
trite
triticale
tritium
Triton
triturate
trituration
