twin

1 of 3

noun

ˈtwin 

1

a

: either of two offspring produced in the same pregnancy

b

Twins plural : gemini

2

: one of two persons or things closely related to or resembling each other

3

: a compound crystal composed of two adjoining crystals or parts of crystals of the same kind that share a common plane of atoms

twinship

ˈtwin-ˌship 

noun

twin

2 of 3

adjective

1

: born with one other or as a pair at one birth

my twin brother

twin girls

2

a

: made up of two similar, related, or connected members or parts : double

b

: paired in a close or necessary relationship : matching

c

: having or consisting of two identical units

d

: being one of a pair

twin

3 of 3

verb

twinned; twinning

transitive verb

1

: to bring together in close association : couple

2

: duplicate, match

intransitive verb

1

: to bring forth twins

2

of a crystal : to grow in a compound form with two adjoining sections that share a common plane of atoms

Synonyms

Noun

• companion
• fellow
• half
• match
• mate

Adjective

• binary
• bipartite
• double
• double-barreled
• double-edged
• dual
• duplex
• twofold

Examples of twin in a Sentence

Noun

She's the mother of twins.

The twins went swimming after lunch.

My sister just had twins.

Sarah and her brother are twins.

Adjective

the twin goals of reducing oil dependence and protecting the environment

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

This project marked Sidibe's return to acting after welcoming her twins with her husband. —Hannah Sacks, People.com, 28 Apr. 2025

The twins worked together on screen again in Own Worst Enemy (2014), 7 Days: The Story of Blind Dave Heeley (2019), and Last Night in Soho (2021). —Julia Emmanuele, EW.com, 27 Apr. 2025

Adjective

Mars Is Electric is the California rapper’s follow-up to his twin 2023 releases Even God Has a Sense of Humor and Debbie’s Son. —Walden Green, Pitchfork, 29 Apr. 2025

There’s an entire subset of digital twin specialists spanning IoT AI toolsets, including o9 Solutions, Bentley Systems, Siemens and General Electric. —Adrian Bridgwater, Forbes.com, 28 Apr. 2025

Verb

What emerges is a classic brick Colonial Revival, with shuttered, paned windows, roof twinned by chimneys, and perfect little dormers. —Miriam Schwartz, Boston Herald, 28 Mar. 2025

Trump's push for peace -- which has been twinned with fierce public criticism of Ukraine and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy -- has been welcomed by America's allies, though leaders have been perturbed by the president's apparent alignment with Russia's false narratives about the conflict. —David Brennan, ABC News, 13 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from twin twofold

Adjective

Middle English, twofold, double, from Old English twinn; akin to Old Norse tvinnr two by two, Old English twā two

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

1593, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Phrases Containing twin

• conjoined twin
• fraternal twin
• identical twin
• Siamese twin
• twin bed
• twin-bedded
• twin bill
• twin double
• twin primes
• twin-size
• twin town
• twin-turbo

Rhymes for twin

• been
• bin
• chin
• din
• djinn
• fin
• finn
• gin
• grin
• in
• kin
• linn

Kids Definition

twin

1 of 3 adjective

ˈtwin 

1

: born with one other or as a pair at one birth

my twin brother

twin girls

2

a

: made up of two similar, related, or connected members or parts

b

: being one of a pair

a twin city

twin

2 of 3 verb

twinned; twinning

: to produce or give birth to twins

twin

3 of 3 noun

: either of two offspring produced at a birth compare fraternal twin, identical twin

Medical Definition

twin

1 of 2 adjective

ˈtwin 

: born with one other or as a pair at one birth

a twin brother

twin girls

twin

2 of 2 noun

1

: either of two offspring produced at a birth

2

twins plural : a group of two offspring born at one birth

twinship

-ˌship 

noun