Friday word: Trifecta

[med_cat]

I've always thought this word simply meant "triple", but the etymology turned out to be more complex than that, as you can read below:
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trifecta noun tri·fec·ta \trī-ˈfek-tə, ˈtrī-ˌ\

1: a variation of the perfecta (a bet in which the bettor picks the first and second place finishers in order) in which a bettor wins by selecting the first three finishers of a race in the correct order of finish

2: triple  <achieved a show-business trifecta :  a platinum record, hit TV series, and an Oscar>

Examples

trifecta for meteorologically induced misery: hazy, hot, and humid>

Friday's Trifecta: Supermoon, Solar Eclipse, Spring Equinox (today's article from National Geographic, which can be read here

Etymology:
tri- + perfecta, American Spanish quiniela perfecta perfect quiniela

quiniela: a bet in which the bettor picks the first and second place finishers but need not designate their order of finish in order to win; American Spanish quiniela, a game of chance resembling a lottery

First Known Use: 1974