two

1 of 3

adjective

ˈtü 

1

: being one more than one in number

2

: being the second

—used postpositively

section two of the instructions

two

2 of 3

pronoun

plural in construction

1

: two countable individuals not specified

only two were found

2

: a small approximate number of indicated things

only a shot or two were fired

two

3 of 3

noun

plural twos

1

: a number that is one more than one see Table of Numbers

2

: the second in a set or series

the two of spades

3

: a 2-dollar bill

4

: something having two units or members

Examples of two in a Sentence

Noun

It was two in the morning.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Some of the notable attendees include Lori Harvey, model Alton Mason (both pictured above), Academy Award winner Natalie Portman, designer Riccardo Tisci, actress Laura Harrier, and artist Maya Margarita who was on the ones and twos, pictured below. —Victoria Uwumarogie, Essence, 1 Oct. 2024

That piece is a polyrhythm-palooza — threes on twos, twos on threes, three-counts and two-counts alternating. —Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 20 Sep. 2024

Where most studios animated on twos, meaning 12 unique drawings per second of footage, Williams animated the entire film on ones, or 24 drawings per second, giving it the same fluidity as live-action. —Tim Brinkhof, IndieWire, 12 Aug. 2024

Threes are twos, and twos are ones in this spin-off Olympic sport, which features a basketball slightly smaller than the one used for five-on-five. —Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 26 July 2024

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English twa, two, from Old English twā (feminine & neuter); akin to Old English twēgen two (masculine), tū (neuter), Old High German zwēne, Latin duo, Greek dyo

First Known Use

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Pronoun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4

Phrases Containing two

• a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush
• a thing or two
• care two hoots
• fall between two stools
• give two hoots
• if/had (two people's) situations been reversed
• in two
• in two minds
• in two shakes
• kill two birds with one stone
• no two ways about it
• number two
• of two minds
• one or two
• one-two
• one-two punch
• put in one's two cents
• put/stick two fingers up at someone
• put two and two together
• serve two masters
• show/teach (someone) a trick or two
• stand on one's own two feet
• that makes two of us
• thirty-two
• twenty-two
• two-bagger
• two-bit
• two bits
• two-by-four
• two by two
• two cents
• two cents' worth
• two-cycle
• two-dimensional
• two-edged
• two-edged sword
• two-faced
• two-factor authentication
• two-family house/dwelling
• two-fisted
• two-footed
• two-handed
• two-hander
• two heads are better than one
• two left feet
• two of a kind
• two-party
• two peas in a pod
• two-phase
• two-piece
• two-piecer
• two-piece suit
• two-ply
• two's company, three's a crowd
• two's complement
• two-seater
• two-sided
• two sides of the same coin
• two-spotted spider mite
• two-step
• two-suiter
• two-tail
• two-tailed
• two-time
• two-toed sloth
• two-tone
• two-toned
• two-way
• two-way mirror
• two-way street
• two-wheeler
• two-winged fly
• two wrongs don't make a right
• went number two

Video

Some Odd Words with ISMO: "The One-derful Won"

Comedian ISMO tries to figure out 'one' and 'two'

Kids Definition

two

noun

ˈtü

plural twos

1

: a number that is one more than one see number

2

: the second in a set or series

two adjective or pronoun