twin

1 of 3

noun

ˈtwin 

1

a

: either of two offspring produced in the same pregnancy

b

Twins plural : gemini

2

: one of two persons or things closely related to or resembling each other

3

: a compound crystal composed of two adjoining crystals or parts of crystals of the same kind that share a common plane of atoms

twinship

ˈtwin-ˌship 

noun

twin

2 of 3

adjective

1

: born with one other or as a pair at one birth

my twin brother

twin girls

2

a

: made up of two similar, related, or connected members or parts : double

b

: paired in a close or necessary relationship : matching

c

: having or consisting of two identical units

d

: being one of a pair

twin

3 of 3

verb

twinned; twinning

transitive verb

1

: to bring together in close association : couple

2

: duplicate, match

intransitive verb

1

: to bring forth twins

2

of a crystal : to grow in a compound form with two adjoining sections that share a common plane of atoms

Synonyms

Noun

• companion
• fellow
• half
• match
• mate

Adjective

• binary
• bipartite
• double
• double-barreled
• double-edged
• dual
• duplex
• twofold

Examples of twin in a Sentence

Noun

She's the mother of twins.

The twins went swimming after lunch.

My sister just had twins.

Sarah and her brother are twins.

Adjective

the twin goals of reducing oil dependence and protecting the environment

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

They’re projected to start the Miyatake and Muller twins with athletic forward Ellie Frazier. 9. —Dan Albano, Orange County Register, 7 Nov. 2024

The former spouses also share twins Vivian Jenna and Griffin, who were born in 2004, and triplets Kai, Saxon, and Damian, who were born in 2006. —Charmaine Patterson, People.com, 5 Nov. 2024

Adjective

The twin recalls of Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price and Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao appeared on the path to success this week, with both measures leading by a roughly 2-to-1 margin. —Jakob Rodgers, The Mercury News, 8 Nov. 2024

Kyrie Davidson, 38, posted the video on Instagram, which shows her older twin girls, Amelia and Kamryn, running with excitement to meet their new siblings as soon as the family arrived home from the hospital. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024

Verb

The father-son duo twinned in adorable Beetlejuice costumes, wearing the character's iconic striped suit, spikey green wigs and dark face paint. —Chiara Kim, People.com, 1 Nov. 2024

The family of three got all dressed up as the Beetlejuice characters, with Duhamel and Shepherd twinning as Beetlejuice, and Mari channeling Dolores. —Emma Aerin Becker, People.com, 1 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from twin twofold

Adjective

Middle English, twofold, double, from Old English twinn; akin to Old Norse tvinnr two by two, Old English twā two

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

1593, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Phrases Containing twin

• conjoined twin
• fraternal twin
• identical twin
• Siamese twin
• twin bed
• twin-bedded
• twin bill
• twin double
• twin primes
• twin-size
• twin town
• twin-turbo

Kids Definition

twin

1 of 3 adjective

ˈtwin 

1

: born with one other or as a pair at one birth

my twin brother

twin girls

2

a

: made up of two similar, related, or connected members or parts

b

: being one of a pair

a twin city

twin

2 of 3 verb

twinned; twinning

: to produce or give birth to twins

twin

3 of 3 noun

: either of two offspring produced at a birth compare fraternal twin, identical twin

Medical Definition

twin

1 of 2 adjective

ˈtwin 

: born with one other or as a pair at one birth

a twin brother

twin girls

twin

2 of 2 noun

1

: either of two offspring produced at a birth

2

twins plural : a group of two offspring born at one birth

twinship

-ˌship 

noun