two
- 01 A1 Beginner
num.the number 2.
num.the cardinal number between one and three.
Simple“I have two sisters and one brother.”
In context“The experiment required two separate control groups to ensure the validity of the final results.”
Synonymsa pair ofa couple of - 02 A1 Beginner
n.two o'clock.
n.the second hour after midnight or noon.
Simple“The meeting starts at two, so don't be late.”
In context“By the time the clock struck two, the exhausted students had finally finished their group project.”
- 03 A2 Elementary
n.the written symbol 2.
n.the graphic symbol or digit representing the number two.
Simple“Write a large number two at the top of the page.”
In context“The child carefully traced the figure two in the sand with a wooden stick.”
- 04 C1 Advanced
n.a camera shot that shows two people.
n.a 'two shot'; a cinematic technique where the frame encompasses two subjects, usually from the waist up.
Simple“The director asked for a two to show the chemistry between the actors.”
In context“The cinematographer suggested framing the scene as a tight two to emphasize the growing tension between the protagonists.”
Synonymstwo shot - 05 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a playing card with the number two on it.
n.a playing card in a standard deck featuring two pips.
Simple“He played a two of hearts to start the game.”
In context“In many card games, the two is the lowest-ranking card unless specific rules designate it as a wild card.”
Synonyms
two vs to vs too — To marks a destination or an infinitive, too indicates excess or addition, and two is the number 2.
Usage two years · two weeks · two decades
PIE word *dwóh₁ From Middle English two, twa, from Old English twā, feminine and neuter of twēġen (whence twain), from Proto-West Germanic twai-, from Proto-Germanic twai, from Proto-Indo-European *dwóh₁. Cognates Cognate with Scots twa (“two”); North Frisian tou, tuu (“two”); Saterland Frisian twäin, two (“two”); West Frisian twa (“two”); Dutch twee (“two”); Low German twee, twei (“two”); German zwei, zwo (“two”); Danish and Norwegian to (“two”); Swedish två, tu (“two”); Icelandic tvö (“two”); Faroese tvey (“two”); Latin duō (“two”); Ancient Greek δύο (dúo, “two”); Irish dhá (“two”); Lithuanian dù (“two”); Russian два (dva, “two”); Albanian dy (“two”); Old Armenian երկու (erku, “two”); Sanskrit द्व (dvá, “two”); Tocharian A wu, Tocharian B wi. Doublet of duo. See also twain. Unrelated to similar words in Austronesian languages such as Malagasy roa; Tagalog and Cebuano dalawa; West Coast Bajau and Minangkabau duo; Buginese ᨉᨘᨓ (dua); Indonesian, Malay, Iban, Iranun, Ilocano, and Sundanese dua; Fijian, Māori, Rapa Nui, and Rotuman rua; Tongan and Niuean ua; Wallisian, Samoan, and Hawaiian lua; and South Marquesan 'ua; which originated from Proto-Austronesian *duSa.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.