In the Genesis flood narrative, Noah sent the dove out of the Ark three times.
Genesis 8 first says Noah sent out a dove to see whether the waters had receded. The dove found nowhere to land and returned. After waiting seven days, Noah sent it again; it returned with a freshly plucked olive leaf. After another seven days, he sent it a third time, and the dove did not return.
The three departures form a clear sequence of tests. The first shows that water still covered the land, the second provides evidence of vegetation, and the third indicates that the dove could remain outside.
This question is distinct from asking what the dove carried back: the answer to that related detail is an olive leaf. Genesis also says Noah first sent a raven, but the text counts the dove’s three missions separately.