Siamese twins

plural noun

1. non-technical name for conjoined twins

Word History and Origins

Origin of Siamese twins¹

C19: named after a famous pair of conjoined twins, Chang and Eng (1811–74), who were born in Siam

Example Sentences

Eng and Chang Bunker, the 19th century “Siamese Twins” who gained fame as a circus act, lived to be 63.

From Seattle Times

Several countries "have tried or succeeded in developing nuclear weapons under the guise of civilian nuclear weapons programs," Sovacool said, quoting Nobel-winning physicist Hannes Alfven's observation that "Atoms for peace and atoms for war are Siamese twins."

From Salon

Among the anatomical and pathological specimens exhibited are skulls corroded by syphilis; spines twisted by rickets; skeletons deformed by corsets; microcephalic fetuses; a two-headed baby; a bound foot from China; an ovarian cyst the size of a Jack Russell terrier; Grover Cleveland’s jaw tumor; the liver that joined the original “Siamese twins,” Cheng and Eng Bunker; and the pickled corpse of the Soap Lady, whose fatty tissues decomposed into a congealed asphalt-colored substance called adipocere.

From New York Times

“These neurons are like Siamese twins, they are joined at the hip,” says Adonis Sfera, psychiatrist associated with Patton State Hospital and Loma Linda University who was not involved with the study.

From Science Magazine

"Trieste and Hamburg are Siamese twins. They are two important ports, both located on strategic corridors connecting the cold seas to the Mediterranean," he told Reuters.

From Reuters