鼎足

dǐngzú

鼎足 — dǐngzú

1. lit. the three legs of a tripod

   三国时期魏蜀吴形成了鼎足之势。 sānguó shíqī wèishǔwú xíngchéng le dǐngzúzhīshì — During the Three Kingdoms period, Wei, Shu and Wu formed a tripartite balance like the three legs of a tripod.

2. fig. three competing rivals; a three-way balance of power

   三国鼎足，互相牵制。 sānguó dǐngzú hùxiāng qiānzhì — The three kingdoms stood in a tripod balance, checking each other.