dictionary definitions for "twin"


From WordNet (r) 2.0 (August 2003) [wn]:

  twin
      adj 1: being two identical [syn: duplicate, matching,
             {twin(a)}, twinned]
      2: very similar [syn: siamese]
      n 1: either of two offspring born at the same time from the same
           pregnancy
      2: (astrology) a person who is born while the sun in in Gemini
         [syn: Gemini, Twin]
      3: a waterfall in the Snake River in southern Idaho [syn:
         Twin, Twin Falls]
      4: a duplicate copy [syn: counterpart, similitude]
      v 1: duplicate or match; "The polished surface twinned his face
           and chest in reverse" [syn: duplicate, parallel]
      2: bring two objects, ideas, or people together; "This fact is
         coupled to the other one"; "Matchmaker, can you match my
         daughter with a nice young man?"; "The student was paired
         with a partner for collaboration on the project" [syn:
         match, mate, couple, pair]
      3: grow as twins; "twin crystals"
      4: give birth to twins

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Twin \Twin\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Twinned; p. pr. & vb. n.
     Twinning.]
     1. To bring forth twins. --Tusser.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. To be born at the same birth. --Shak.
        [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Twin \Twin\, v. t.
     1. To cause to be twins, or like twins in any way. --Shak.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              Still we moved
              Together, twinned, as horse's ear and eye.
                                                    --Tennyson.
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     2. To separate into two parts; to part; to divide; hence, to
        remove; also, to strip; to rob. [Obs.]
        [1913 Webster]
  
              The life out of her body for to twin. --Chaucer.
        [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Twin \Twin\, n.
     1. One of two produced at a birth, especially by an animal
        that ordinarily brings forth but one at a birth; -- used
        chiefly in the plural, and applied to the young of beasts
        as well as to human young.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. pl. (Astron.) A sign and constellation of the zodiac;
        Gemini. See Gemini.
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     3. A person or thing that closely resembles another.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     4. (Crystallog.) A compound crystal composed of two or more
        crystals, or parts of crystals, in reversed position with
        reference to each other.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     Note: The relative position of the parts of a twin may be
           explained by supposing one part to be revolved 180[deg]
           about a certain axis (called the twinning axis), this
           axis being normal to a plane (called the twinning
           plane) which is usually one of the fundamental planes
           of the crystal. This revolution brings the two parts
           into parallel position, or vice versa. A contact twin
           is one in which the parts are united by a plane
           surface, called the composition face, which is usually
           the same as the twinning plane. A penetration twin is
           one in which the parts interpenetrate each other, often
           very irregularly. Twins are also called, according to
           form, cruciform, geniculated, etc.
           [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Twin \Twin\, v. i.
     To depart from a place or thing. [Obs.] "Ere that we farther
     twin." --Chaucer.
     [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Twin \Twin\ (tw[i^]n), a. [OE. twin double, AS. getwinne two and
     two, pl., twins; akin to D. tweeling a twin, G. zwilling,
     OHG. zwiniling, Icel. tvennr, tvinnr, two and two, twin, and
     to AS. twi- two. See Twice, Two.]
     1. Being one of two born at a birth; as, a twin brother or
        sister.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. Being one of a pair much resembling one another; standing
        in the relation of a twin to something else; -- often
        followed by to or with. --Shak.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     3. (Bot.) Double; consisting of two similar and corresponding
        parts.
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     4. (Crystallog.) Composed of parts united according to some
        definite law of twinning. See Twin, n., 4.
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     Twin boat, or Twin ship (Naut.), a vessel whose deck and
        upper works rest on two parallel hulls.
  
     Twin crystal. See Twin, n., 4.
  
     Twin flower (Bot.), a delicate evergreen plant ({Linnaea
        borealis}) of northern climates, which has pretty,
        fragrant, pendulous flowers borne in pairs on a slender
        stalk.
  
     Twin-screw steamer, a steam vessel propelled by two screws,
        one on either side of the plane of the keel.
        [1913 Webster]


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