twin

1 of 3

noun

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 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

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

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Survivors include his wife, Maxine, an interior designer and artist; his children, Daisy, Doug, Sam and twins Jake and Zack; his grandchildren, Spencer, Jasper, Sienna, Ryan and Charlotte; and his daughters-in-law, Brett and Leah. Mike Barnes, HollywoodReporter, 21 July 2025 Smile sadly at her, his face an eerie twin of her own. Mona Awad, New Yorker, 20 July 2025
Adjective
Her sister Andrea joined Days as Marlena’s twin sister Samantha Evans in 1977. Victoria Edel, People.com, 22 July 2025 Carson James, Carter’s twin brother and also a junior, is a physical running back with a knack for breaking tackles. Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 July 2025
Verb
Ami and Justin McClure are also parents to twin sisters Ava and Alexis, 12, who star in their videos alongside their younger son, Jersey, 7. Episode 4 of Born to Be Viral explores how creators can boost their viewership by making videos that follow a trending format. Zoey Lyttle, People.com, 11 July 2025 There are also experiences with characters like Astrid and Stormfly, and twins Ruffnut and Tuffnut, all of whom are ready for interactions not just with guests but among each other. Abbey White, HollywoodReporter, 30 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for twin

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of twin was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Twin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/twin. Accessed 25 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

twin

1 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
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
: 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 noun

More from Merriam-Webster on twin

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!