twin

1 of 4

noun (1)

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 4

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

a twin-engine airplane

b

: paired in a close or necessary relationship : matching

the company's twin goals of greater productivity and profits

c

: having or consisting of two identical units

d

: being one of a pair

twin

3 of 4

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

twinship

4 of 4

noun (2)

twin·​ship ˈtwinˌship 

: the quality or state of being twin : close similarity or association

regimes … that hide their twinship to communism

—New York Times Magazine

Synonyms of twin

Noun (1)

• half

Adjective

• dual
• binary

Examples of twin in a Sentence

Noun (1)

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

Prosecutors believe he was killed because of ongoing strife with his former wife, Shanna Gardner, over the parenting of their twins. — Ed White, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026

On a recent day, Ramadhan’s oldest child, not even 3, kissed the twins on the cheeks and recognized a photo of their mother. — ABC News, 26 Aug. 2026

Adjective

Maiquetía International airport, outside Caracas, was damaged from twin earthquakes on June 24 that devastated the country. — Vinod Sreeharsha, Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2026

Keller Central climbed from 1-9 to 5-5 under second-year head coach Eric Vance and beat Allen for the Division I 7-on-7 state title in June — powered by junior twin phenoms Isaiah and Jeremiah Taylor. — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Aug. 2026

Verb

The singer was photographed with her kids Lourdes, 29, Rocco, 26, Mercy, 20, and twins Stella and Estere, 13, standing on a local street at night and sitting with a group of men in suits outside a restaurant. — Escher Walcott, PEOPLE, 19 Aug. 2026

Bay League rival Redondo Union is in a similar circumstance, having to replace hitter Abby Zimmerman (Cal), twins Avery and Addi Junk (Florida State) and middle blocker Taylor Boice (UC Irvine). — Steve Galluzzo, Los Angeles Times, 17 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1) and Noun (2)

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 (1)

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