two

two

two /tuː/ BrE AmE number
[Language: Old English; Origin: twa]
1. the number 2:
I’ll be away for almost two weeks.
We have to be there by two (=two o'clock).
His family moved to Australia when he was two (=two years old).
2. in twos in groups of two people or things:
I’d like you to line up in twos, please. ⇨ ↑twosome
3. put two and two together to guess the meaning of something you have heard or seen:
I saw him leaving her house and I put two and two together.
4. that makes two of us spoken used to tell someone that you are in the same situation and feel the same way:
‘But I don’t know anything about children!’ ‘Well, that makes two of us.’
5. two can play at that game spoken used to tell someone that they will not have an advantage over you by doing something because you can do it too
6. a year/a week/a moment/an hour etc or two spoken one or a few years, weeks etc
7. two sides of the same coin used to talk about two ways of looking at the same situation
8. two heads are better than one used to say that two people are more likely to solve a problem or think of an idea than one person working alone
9. be in two minds (about something) British English, be of two minds (about something) American English to be unable to decide what to do, or what you think about something:
I was in two minds about whether to go with him.
10. two cents (worth) American English informal your opinion or what you want to say about a subject:
Everyone had to put in their two cents worth.
11. two’s company, three’s a crowd used to say that it is better to leave two people alone to spend time with each other
⇨ don’t care two hoots at ↑hoot¹(5), ⇨ two/three etc of a kind at ↑kind¹(5), ⇨ be two/ten a penny at ↑penny(11), ⇨ in ones and twos at ↑one¹(3), ⇨ it takes two to tango at ↑tango²(2), ⇨ kill two birds with one stone at ↑kill¹(13), ⇨ no two ways about it at ↑way¹(54), ⇨ fall between two stools at ↑fall¹(32)
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THESAURUS
▪ pair two things of the same type that you use together. Also used about two people who do something together or who you often see together: a pair of shoes | a pair of socks | Winners will receive a pair of tickets for the show. | The pair were arrested six days after the killing. | They're a funny pair! | The British pair will be playing in the final on Saturday.
▪ a couple (of something) two things of the same type, or a very small number of things: There were a couple of empty seats at the table. | Do you have any stamps? I just need a couple.
▪ couple noun [countable] two people who are married or having a sexual relationship: a married couple | The couple met at university.
▪ twins noun [plural] two children who were born on the same day to the same mother: The twins look very alike. | identical twins
▪ duo noun [countable] two people who perform together or who are often seen together: a comedy duo
▪ duet noun [countable] a piece of music written for two people to play: They played a duet by Brahms.
▪ twice two times adverb: The group meets twice a week. | She sneezed twice.
■ for two people
▪ for two for two people: A table for two, please.
▪ double bed/double room a bed for two people, or a room that has a bed for two people in it: I'd like to book a double room.
▪ twin beds/twin room two separate single beds, or a room with two separate single beds: We asked for a twin room, and they've give us a double room.