two

[too] /tu/
noun
1.
a cardinal number, 1 plus 1.
2.
a symbol for this number, as 2 or II.
3.
a set of this many persons or things.
4.
a playing card, die face, or half of a domino face with two pips.
adjective
5.
amounting to two in number.
Idioms
6.
in two, into two separate parts, as halves:
A bolt of lightning split the tree in two.
7.
put two and two together, to draw a correct conclusion from the given circumstances; infer:
It didn't require a great mind to put two and two together.
Origin
before 900; Middle English; Old English twā (feminine and neuter; cf. twain); cognate with German zwei; compare Latin duo, Greek dýo
Can be confused
to, too, two.
British Dictionary definitions for put two and two together

two

/tuː/
noun
1.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one. It is a prime number See also number (sense 1)
2.
a numeral, 2, II, (ii), etc, representing this number
3.
(music) the numeral 2 used as the lower figure in a time signature, indicating that the beat is measured in minims
4.
something representing, represented by, or consisting of two units, such as a playing card with two symbols on it
5.
Also called two o'clock. two hours after noon or midnight
6.
in two, in or into two parts: break the bread in two
7.
put two and two together, to make an inference from available evidence, esp an obvious inference
8.
that makes two of us, the same applies to me
determiner
9.
  1. amounting to two: two nails
  2. (as pronoun): he bought two
related
adjectives binary double dual prefixes di- bi-
Word Origin
Old English twā (feminine); related to Old High German zwā, Old Norse tvau, Latin, Greek duo
Word Origin and History for put two and two together

two

n.

Old English twa, fem. and neuter form of twegen "two" (see twain), from Proto-Germanic *twai (cf. Old Saxon and Old Frisian twene, twa, Old Norse tveir, tvau, Dutch twee, Old High German zwene, zwo, German zwei, Gothic twai), from PIE *duwo (cf. Sanskrit dvau, Avestan dva, Greek duo, Latin duo, Old Welsh dou, Lithuanian dvi, Old Church Slavonic duva, first element in Hittite ta-ugash "two years old").

Dance style two-step is recorded from 1900. Twofer is first recorded 1911 (originally in reference to cigars), from two for (a dollar, etc.). Two cheers for _____, expressing qualified enthusiasm first recorded 1951 in E.M. Forster's title "Two Cheers for Democracy." Two-dimensional is recorded from 1883; figurative sense of "lacking substance or depth" is attested from 1934.

Slang definitions & phrases for put two and two together

two

Related Terms

number two, one-two


Idioms and Phrases with put two and two together

put two and two together

Draw the proper inference from existing evidence, as in Putting two and two together, it's not hard to guess who will be chosen for the lead role in the play. [ Mid-1800s ]

two

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