two
/tu/ numeral, noun, proper noun
- numeral A numerical value equal to 2; the number following one and preceding three.
- numeral Describing a set or group with two elements.
- noun The digit/figure 2. “The number 2202 contains three twos.”
- noun (US, informal) A two-dollar bill.
- noun A child aged two. “This toy is suitable for the twos and threes.”
- noun A playing card featuring two pips.
- noun Two o'clock, either a.m. or p.m.
- proper noun (rail transport) The station code of Tai Wo in Hong Kong.
Synonyms
Etymology
From Middle English two, twa, from Old English twā, feminine and neuter of twēġen (whence twain), from Proto-West Germanic *twai-, from Proto-Germanic *twai, from Proto-Indo-European *dwóh₁.
Cognate with Scots twa (“two”); North Frisian tou, tuu (“two”); Saterland Frisian twäin, two (“two”); West Frisian twa (“two”); Dutch twee (“two”); Low German twee, twei (“two”); German zwei, zwo (“two”); Danish and Norwegian to (“two”); Swedish två, tu (“two”); Icelandic tvö (“two”); Faroese tvey (“two”); Latin duō (“two”); Ancient Greek δύο (dúo, “two”); Irish dhá (“two”); Lithuanian dù (“two”); Russian два (dva, “two”); Albanian dy (“two”); Old Armenian երկու (erku, “two”); Sanskrit द्व (dvá, “two”); Tocharian A wu, Tocharian B wi. Doublet of duo. See also twain.
Unrelated to resembling words in Austronesian languages, including Malagasy roa; Cebuano and Tagalog dalawa; West Coast Bajau and Minangkabau duo; Buginese ᨉᨘᨓ (dua); Indonesian, Iban, Iranun, Ilocano, Sundanese, and Malay dua; West Coast Bajau and Minangkabau duo; Fijian, Māori, Rapa Nui, and Rotuman rua; Niuean and Tongan ua; Hawaiian, Samoan, and Wallisian lua; South Marquesan 'ua. All of which originated from Proto-Austronesian *duSa.
Webster’s 1913
- adjective One and one; twice one. "Two great lights." Gen. i. 16. "Two black clouds." Milton.
- noun The sum of one; the number next greater than one, and next less than three; two units or objects.
- noun A symbol representing two units, as 2, II., or ii. In two, asunder; into parts; in halves; in twain; as, cut in two.
Etymology [OE. two, twa, properly fem. & neut., twei, twein, tweien, properly masc. (whence E. twain), AS. twa, fem. & neut., tw, masc., t, neut.; akin to OFries. tw, masc., twa, fem. & neut., OS. tw, masc., twa, fem., tw, neut., D. twee, OHG. zw, zw, zwei, G. zwei, Icel. tveir, tvær, tvau, Sw. två, Dan. to, Goth. twai, tw, twa; Lith. du, Russ. dva, Ir. & Gael. da, W. dau, dwy, L. duo, Gr. dva. Balance, Barouche, Between, Bi-, Combine, Deuce two in cards, Double, Doubt, Dozen, Dual, Duet, Dyad, Twain, Twelve, Twenty, Twice, Twilight, Twig, Twine, n., Twist.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “two”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details