: a piece of lumber approximately 2 by 4 inches as sawed and usually 1 1/2 by 3 1/2 inches when dressed

two-by-four

2 of 2

adjective

1
: small or petty of its kind
this house and its two-by-four garden Philip Barry
2
: measuring two units (such as inches) by four

Examples of two-by-four in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Noun
Doing so would have been like attempting a balancing act on a slippery two-by-four. Jim Carmichel, Outdoor Life, 25 July 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1884, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1897, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of two-by-four was in 1884

Dictionary Entries Near two-by-four

Cite this Entry

“Two-by-four.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/two-by-four. Accessed 24 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

two-by-four

noun
ˌtü-bə-ˈfō(ə)r,
-ˈfȯ(ə)r
: a piece of lumber sawed to approximately 2 by 4 inches (5 by 10 centimeters)
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