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Synonyms

two-by-four

American  
[too-bahy-fawr, -fohr, -buh-] / ˈtu baɪˌfɔr, -ˌfoʊr, -bə- /

adjective

  1. two units thick and four units wide, especially in inches.

  2. Informal. lacking adequate space; cramped.

    a small, two-by-four room.

  3. Informal. unimportant; insignificant.

    Theirs was a petty, two-by-four operation.

noun

  1. a timber measuring 2 × 4 inches (5 × 10 centimeters) in cross section, when untrimmed: equivalent to 1 5/8 × 3 5/8 inches (4.5 × 9 centimeters) when trimmed.

two-by-four British  

noun

  1. a length of untrimmed timber with a cross section that measures 2 inches by 4 inches

  2. a trimmed timber joist with a cross section that measures 1 1/ 2 inches by 3 1/ 2 inches

"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

Etymology

Origin of two-by-four

An Americanism dating back to 1880–85

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

If “Knight of Fortune” is a gentle nudge to the ribs, Misan Harriman’s “The After” is a two-by-four to the gut — and not in a good way.

From New York Times • Feb. 15, 2024

Nail the two-by-four lumber together, square it up and install a few diagonal braces to keep it square.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 3, 2023

U.S. homes are often framed with two-by-four construction, and they need lighter windows than heavier-built European homes.

From Scientific American • Jan. 21, 2022

“I used conventional two-by-four wood construction, which is a game-changer.”

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 18, 2021

Horse threw a chunk of a two-by-four at him and almost clobbered him.

From "Bless Me, Ultima" by Rudolfo Anaya

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.