Crossword Dictionary

What's The Definition Of Twin?

\Twin\, 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. 2. Being one of a pair much resembling one another; standing the relation of a twin to something else; -- often followed by to or with. --Shak. 3. (Bot.) Double; consisting of two similar and corresponding parts. 4. (Crystallog.) Composed of parts united according to some definite law of twinning. See {Twin}, n., 4. {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 ({Linn[ae]a 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.
\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. 2. pl. (Astron.) A sign and constellation of the zodiac; Gemini. See {Gemini}. 3. A person or thing that closely resembles another. 4. (Crystallog.) A compound crystal composed of two or more crystals, or parts of crystals, in reversed position with reference to each other. Note: The relative position of the parts of a twin may be explained by supposing one part to be revolved 180[deg] 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.
\Twin\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Twinned}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Twinning}.] 1. To bring forth twins. --Tusser. 2. To be born at the same birth. --Shak.
\Twin\, v. t. 1. To cause to be twins, or like twins in any way. --Shak. Still we moved Together, twinned, as horse's ear and eye. --Tennyson. 2. To separate into two parts; to part; to divide; hence, to remove; also, to strip; to rob. [Obs.] The life out of her body for to twin. --Chaucer.
\Twin\, v. i. To depart from a place or thing. [Obs.] ``Ere that we farther twin.'' --Chaucer.