twin
- 01 A2 Elementary
n.one of two children who are born to the same mother at the same time.
n.either of two offspring produced in the same pregnancy and born at the same birth.
Simple“My sister is my twin, but we don't look exactly the same.”
In context“Research involving identical twins often helps scientists understand the complex relationship between genetic inheritance and environmental influences.”
Synonyms - 02 B1 Intermediate
n.one of two things that are exactly the same or very similar.
n.either of two similar or closely related objects or entities that form a pair.
Simple“The tall buildings were twins, standing on opposite sides of the river.”
In context“The architect designed the library as a twin to the existing museum, mirroring its limestone facade and arched windows.”
Synonyms - 03 A2 Elementary
n.a room in a hotel that has two separate beds.
n.a hotel accommodation containing two single beds, intended for two occupants.
Simple“We booked a twin because it was cheaper than getting two separate rooms.”
In context“The travel agent confirmed that the group would require five twins and three singles to accommodate all the participants comfortably.”
- 04 C1 Advanced
n.an airplane that has two engines.
n.a fixed-wing aircraft powered by two separate engines.
Simple“The pilot preferred flying the twin because it felt safer over the ocean.”
In context“The flight school recently added a light twin to its fleet to provide students with multi-engine transition training.”
Synonymstwin engine - 05 C1 Advanced
n.a friendly way to talk to a male friend.
n.a colloquial term of address used between peers, typically males, to indicate rapport.
Simple“What's up, twin? I haven't seen you in ages.”
In context“The greeting 'twin' has gained popularity in certain urban dialects as a marker of close social alignment between friends.”
- 06 B1 Intermediate
adj.used to describe two things that are the same or happen together.
adj.forming a matching pair or occurring in a dual capacity.
Simple“The country faces the twin problems of high prices and low wages.”
In context“The government is currently grappling with the twin challenges of rising inflation and a cooling housing market.”
- 07 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to connect two things or places together, like two cities in different countries.
v.to link or associate two entities, especially to establish a formal sister-city relationship.
Simple“My hometown is twinned with a small village in France.”
In context“The local council voted to twin the borough with a coastal city in Japan to encourage cultural exchange and tourism.”
Usageoften used in the passive voice with 'with'
Antonyms
PIE word *dwóh₁ From Middle English twinne, twynne, from Old English ġetwin, ġetwinn (“twin, multiple”, noun) and twinn (“twin, two-fold, double, two by two”, adjective), from Proto-Germanic twinjaz, twinahz (“two each”), from Proto-Indo-European dwino- (“twin”), from dwóh₁ (“two”). Cognate with Scots twyn (“twin”), Dutch tweeling (“twin”), German Zwilling (“twin”), Danish tvilling (“twin”), Swedish tvilling (“twin”), Faroese tvinnur (“a double set”), Icelandic tvenna (“duo, pair”), Lithuanian dvynys (“twin”), Russian двойня (dvojnja, “twin”).
From Middle English twin, twyn, from Old English twin, twinn (“twin; double”, adjective), from Proto-Germanic twīhnaz (“occurring in a pair; twofold; double”), from Proto-Indo-European dwóh₁ (“two”). Cognate with Icelandic tvennur (“double”), Gothic 𐍄𐍅𐌴𐌹𐌷𐌽𐌰𐌹 (tweihnai, “two each”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.