Two (to͞o), a. [OE. two, twa, properly fem. & neut., twei, twein, tweien, properly masc. (whence E. twain), AS. twā, fem. & neut., twēgen, masc., tū, neut.; akin to OFries. twēne, masc., twā, fem. & neut., OS. twēne, masc., twā, fem., twē, neut., D. twee, OHG. zwēne, zwō, zwei, G. zwei, Icel. tveir, tvær, tvau, Sw. två, Dan. to, Goth. twai, twōs, twa; Lith. du, Russ. dva, Ir. & Gael. da, W. dau, dwy, L. duo, Gr. δύο, Skr. dva. √300. Cf. Balance, Barouche, Between, Bi-, Combine, Deuce two in cards, Double, Doubt, Dozen, Dual, Duet, Dyad, Twain, Twelve, Twenty, Twice, Twilight, Twig, Twine, n., Twist.] One and one; twice one. “Two great lights.” Gen. i. 16. “Two black clouds.” Milton.
☞ Two is often joined with other words, forming compounds signifying divided into, consisting of, or having, two parts, divisions, organs, or the like; as two-bladed, two-celled, two-eared, two-flowered, twohand, two-headed, two-horse, two-leafed or two-leaved, two-legged, two-lobed, two-masted, two-named, two-part, two-petaled, two-pronged, two-seeded, two-sided, two-story, two-stringed, two-foothed, two-valved, two-winged, and the like.
One or two, a phrase often used indefinitely for a small number.