TWO


Meaning of TWO in English

two /tuː/ BrE AmE number

[ Language: Old English ; Origin: twa ]

1 . the number 2:

I’ll be away for almost two weeks.

We have to be there by two (=two o'clock) .

His family moved to Australia when he was two (=two years old) .

2 . in twos in groups of two people or things:

I’d like you to line up in twos, please.

⇨ ↑ twosome

3 . put two and two together to guess the meaning of something you have heard or seen:

I saw him leaving her house and I put two and two together.

4 . that makes two of us spoken used to tell someone that you are in the same situation and feel the same way:

‘But I don’t know anything about children!’ ‘Well, that makes two of us.’

5 . two can play at that game spoken used to tell someone that they will not have an advantage over you by doing something because you can do it too

6 . a year/a week/a moment/an hour etc or two spoken one or a few years, weeks etc

7 . two sides of the same coin used to talk about two ways of looking at the same situation

8 . two heads are better than one used to say that two people are more likely to solve a problem or think of an idea than one person working alone

9 . be in two minds (about something) British English , be of two minds (about something) American English to be unable to decide what to do, or what you think about something:

I was in two minds about whether to go with him.

10 . two cents (worth) American English informal your opinion or what you want to say about a subject:

Everyone had to put in their two cents worth.

11 . two’s company, three’s a crowd used to say that it is better to leave two people alone to spend time with each other

⇨ don’t care two hoots at ↑ hoot 1 (5), ⇨ two/three etc of a kind at ↑ kind 1 (5), ⇨ be two/ten a penny at ↑ penny (11), ⇨ in ones and twos at ↑ one 1 (3), ⇨ it takes two to tango at ↑ tango 2 (2), ⇨ kill two birds with one stone at ↑ kill 1 (13), ⇨ no two ways about it at ↑ way 1 (54), ⇨ fall between two stools at ↑ fall 1 (32)

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THESAURUS

▪ pair two things of the same type that you use together. Also used about two people who do something together or who you often see together:

a pair of shoes

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a pair of socks

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Winners will receive a pair of tickets for the show.

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The pair were arrested six days after the killing.

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They're a funny pair!

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The British pair will be playing in the final on Saturday.

▪ a couple (of something) two things of the same type, or a very small number of things:

There were a couple of empty seats at the table.

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Do you have any stamps? I just need a couple.

▪ couple noun [countable] two people who are married or having a sexual relationship:

a married couple

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The couple met at university.

▪ twins noun [plural] two children who were born on the same day to the same mother:

The twins look very alike.

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identical twins

▪ duo noun [countable] two people who perform together or who are often seen together:

a comedy duo

▪ duet noun [countable] a piece of music written for two people to play:

They played a duet by Brahms.

▪ twice two times adverb :

The group meets twice a week.

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She sneezed twice.

■ for two people

▪ for two for two people:

A table for two, please.

▪ double bed/double room a bed for two people, or a room that has a bed for two people in it:

I'd like to book a double room.

▪ twin beds/twin room two separate single beds, or a room with two separate single beds:

We asked for a twin room, and they've give us a double room.

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English.      Longman - Словарь современного английского языка.