twice

[ twahys ]

adverb

1. two times, as in succession:

   Write twice a week.

2. on two occasions; in two instances:

   I phoned him twice.

3. in twofold quantity or degree; in double the amount or degree:

   twice as much.

twice

/ twaɪs /

adverb

1. two times; on two occasions or in two cases

   he coughed twice

2. double in degree or quantity

   twice as long

Word History and Origins

Origin of twice¹

before 1150; Middle English twies, equivalent to twie twice ( Old English twige, cognate with Old Frisian twīa, Old Saxon tuuīo; twi- ) + -s -s ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of twice¹

Old English twiwa ; related to Old Norse tvisvar , Middle Low German twiges

Idioms and Phrases

see cheap at twice the price ; lightning never strikes twice ; once bitten, twice shy ; think twice .

Example Sentences

In the ’90s I was working out twice a day to be thin.

From Los Angeles Times

After losing twice narrowly to New Zealand on tour in July, England failed to capitalise on winning positions in the games against New Zealand, Australia and South Africa this month.

From BBC

Irwin had twice been arrested and bailed by police with conditions not to contact Miss Render in the weeks before her murder.

From BBC

The survey focused on the effect of water with more than 1.5 milligrams of fluoride per liter, more than twice the approved level in the United States.

From Los Angeles Times

Larger dogs can take up to twice as long to get adopted, exacerbating overcrowding and leading to more euthanasias, she said.

From Los Angeles Times