GNU Collaborative International Dictionary of English
last match results
Found 5 definitions
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Twin (twĭn), a. [OE. twin double, AS. getwinne two and two, pl., twins; akin to D. tweeling a twin, G. zwilling, OHG. zwiniling, Icel. tvennr, tvinnr, two and two, twin, and to AS. twi- two. See Twice, Two.]
1. Being one of two born at a birth; as, “a twin brother or sister”.
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2. Being one of a pair much resembling one another; standing in the relation of a twin to something else; -- often followed by to or with. Shak.
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3. (Bot.) Double; consisting of two similar and corresponding parts.
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4. (Crystallog.) Composed of parts united according to some definite law of twinning. See Twin, n., 4.
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Twin boat, or Twin ship (Naut.), a vessel whose deck and upper works rest on two parallel hulls. -- Twin crystal. See Twin, n., 4. -- Twin flower (Bot.), a delicate evergreen plant (Linnaea borealis) of northern climates, which has pretty, fragrant, pendulous flowers borne in pairs on a slender stalk. -- Twin-screw steamer, a steam vessel propelled by two screws, one on either side of the plane of the keel.
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Twin, n.
1. One of two produced at a birth, especially by an animal that ordinarily brings forth but one at a birth; -- used chiefly in the plural, and applied to the young of beasts as well as to human young.
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2. pl. (Astron.) A sign and constellation of the zodiac; Gemini. See Gemini.
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3. A person or thing that closely resembles another.
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4. (Crystallog.) A compound crystal composed of two or more crystals, or parts of crystals, in reversed position with reference to each other.
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☞ The relative position of the parts of a twin may be explained by supposing one part to be revolved 180° about a certain axis (called the twinning axis), this axis being normal to a plane (called the twinning plane) which is usually one of the fundamental planes of the crystal. This revolution brings the two parts into parallel position, or vice versa. A contact twin is one in which the parts are united by a plane surface, called the composition face, which is usually the same as the twinning plane. A penetration twin is one in which the parts interpenetrate each other, often very irregularly. Twins are also called, according to form, cruciform, geniculated, etc.
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Twin (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Twinned (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Twinning.]
1. To bring forth twins. Tusser.
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2. To be born at the same birth. Shak.
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Twin, v. t.
1. To cause to be twins, or like twins in any way. Shak.
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Still we moved
Together, twinned, as horse's ear and eye. Tennyson.
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2. To separate into two parts; to part; to divide; hence, to remove; also, to strip; to rob. [Obs.]
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The life out of her body for to twin. Chaucer.
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Twin, v. i. To depart from a place or thing. [Obs.] “Ere that we farther twin.” Chaucer.
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