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
The creators of these digital twins typically charge $9-49 monthly for unlimited interaction. Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 10 May 2025 The twins' delivery initially went smoothly, but then Maura began suffering from nausea and her blood pressure remained alarmingly high. Gillian Telling, People.com, 9 May 2025
Adjective
The 2-in-1 Tote Bag keeps your chaos chic with a snap strap for your laptop, zip pockets for the tiny stuff (pacifiers or lip balm, anyone?), and twin open slots for easy phone grabs mid-diaper change. Pooja Shah, Forbes.com, 10 May 2025 San Marcos senior Cassidy Allison swims in the 200 IM and 100 butterfly looking to complete a career sweep of twin wins. Glae Thien, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 May 2025
Verb
Phoenix twinned with his father in his first black tuxedo and bow tie. Hannah Sacks, People.com, 12 May 2025 The quilt comes in sizes twin through California king and is machine washable for fuss-free care. Bridget Degnan, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 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

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Cite this Entry

“Twin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/twin. Accessed 17 May. 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

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