# twain

/ˈtweɪn/ (US) · /twˈeɪn/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/twain
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. the number two

numeral · CEFR C2 · Archaic · Literary

an old word for the number two.

For teachers: the cardinal number two. This form is archaic and restricted to poetic or highly formal registers.

- The path split in twain, and we did not know which way to go.
- The heavy iron gates were rent in twain by the force of the explosion, leaving the courtyard exposed to the advancing troops.

Usage: Commonly found in the phrase 'in twain', meaning 'in two pieces'.

### 2. a pair or couple

noun · CEFR C2 · Archaic · Literary

two people or things that belong together.

For teachers: a set of two; a pair or couple.

- The two lovers vowed that never the twain shall part.
- Though they were born of the same house, the twain followed vastly different paths in their adult lives.

Teaching tip: Modern speakers almost exclusively encounter this in the idiom 'never the twain shall meet', referring to two things that are so different they can never be reconciled.

### 3. to divide in two

verb · CEFR C2 · Archaic · Literary

to break or cut something into two pieces.

For teachers: to divide, sunder, or part something into two distinct pieces.

- The lightning strike twained the ancient oak tree right down the middle.
- The sudden tectonic shift twained the valley floor, creating a jagged fissure that swallowed the mountain path.

### 4. scanner software protocol

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

a technical name for the system that helps your computer talk to a scanner or digital camera.

For teachers: a standard software protocol and API that regulates communication between software applications and imaging devices.

- I need to install the TWAIN driver before the computer will recognise the new scanner.
- The technician confirmed that the imaging software was fully TWAIN-compliant, ensuring seamless integration with the office's high-speed document scanners.

Usage: Often written in all-caps as TWAIN, though it is not officially an acronym.

Teaching tip: While the name is technically a backronym for 'Technology Without An Interesting Name', it is treated as a proper noun in IT contexts.

## Examples

- 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.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.