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View synonyms for two

two

[ too ]

noun

  1. a cardinal number, 1 plus 1.
  2. a symbol for this number, as 2 or II.
  3. a set of this many persons or things.
  4. a playing card, die face, or half of a domino face with two pips.


adjective

  1. amounting to two in number.

two

/ tuː /

noun

  1. the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one. It is a prime number See also number
  2. a numeral, 2, II, (ii), etc, representing this number
  3. music the numeral 2 used as the lower figure in a time signature, indicating that the beat is measured in minims
  4. something representing, represented by, or consisting of two units, such as a playing card with two symbols on it
  5. Also calledtwo o'clock two hours after noon or midnight
  6. in two
    in or into two parts

    break the bread in two

  7. put two and two together
    to make an inference from available evidence, esp an obvious inference
  8. that makes two of us
    the same applies to me
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012


determiner

    1. amounting to two

      two nails

    2. ( as pronoun )

      he bought two

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Word History and Origins

Origin of two1

before 900; Middle English; Old English twā (feminine and neuter; twain ); cognate with German zwei; compare Latin duo, Greek dýo
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Word History and Origins

Origin of two1

Old English twā (feminine); related to Old High German zwā, Old Norse tvau, Latin, Greek duo
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Idioms and Phrases

Idioms
  1. in two, into two separate parts, as halves:

    A bolt of lightning split the tree in two.

  2. put two and two together, to draw a correct conclusion from the given circumstances; infer:

    It didn't require a great mind to put two and two together.

More idioms and phrases containing two

  • fall between the crack (two stools)
  • for two cents
  • game that two can play
  • goody-two-shoes
  • in two shakes
  • it takes two
  • kill two birds with one stone
  • know all the answers (a thing or two)
  • lesser of two evils
  • like as two peas in a pod
  • no two ways about it
  • of two minds
  • put two and two together
  • that makes two of us
  • thing or two
  • wear two hats
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Example Sentences

Interesting that those who sat in judgment of him found those two sets of beliefs to be incompatible.

If anything the work the two cops and the maintenance guy were doing deserves more respect and probably helped a lot more people.

Toomey lives here with her husband, Mark, a managing director at Goldman Sachs, and their two daughters.

But no more so than the Sodexo building maintenance man or the two cops who were also killed in the crossfire.

France 24's coverage of two developing hostage situations in Paris on Friday.

The case was an assault and battery that came off between two men named Brown and Henderson.

On the thirteenth of the same month they bound to the stake, in order to burn alive, a man who had two religious in his house.

The night wore on, and the clock downstairs was striking the hour of two when she suddenly awakened.

"The Smoker," and "Mother and Daughter," a triptych, are two of her principal pictures.

The Spaniards captured two schooners, having on board 22 officers and 30 men, all of whom were hanged or sent to the mines.

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Related Words

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Two Vs. To Vs. Too

What's the difference between twoto, and too?

Two is the number equal to one plus one. To is a very common word that performs many different functions, such as expressing direction (I’m driving to the office) or contact (Pin it to the wall), indicating an object or recipient (Give it to me), or setting a range (9 to 5) or limit (These go to 11). Too means also (I’m going, too) or to an excessive degree (too much).

The words are used in very different ways: two is a number that can be used as a noun or an adjective, to is most commonly used as a preposition, and too is an adverb.

Perhaps the most common mistake involving the three words is using to when it should be too, or vice versa. Remember, if you mean to, don’t use too many o’s!

Here’s an example of two, to, and too used correctly in the same sentence.

Example: The dealer dealt two twos to me, but it was two twos too few—my opponent had a full house!

Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between two, to, and too.

Quiz yourself on two vs. to vs. too!

Should two, to, or too be used in the following sentence?

I ordered _____ pizzas.

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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