twain
num. C2 Proficiency US //ˈtweɪn// UK //twˈeɪn// twain
num. an old word for the number two. You might see it in old stories or poems to describe two things that are separate.
num. a cardinal number representing the value of two. Archaic in modern usage; primarily encountered in literary, poetic, or biblical contexts to denote a pair or a division into two parts.
The river divided the land in twain.
The old poem describes how the heavy iron gates were finally broken in twain by the storm.
Though they were once the closest of allies, the bitter political dispute eventually rent the party in twain, creating two factions that refused to speak.
Usage
Almost exclusively used in the phrase 'in twain' meaning 'in two' or 'asunder'.