twin
twin — adjective
1. describes two things that are exactly alike or made to be used together as a mat
describes two things that are exactly alike or made to be used together as a matching set — for example, twin beds in a hotel room, twin sisters who dress the same way, or twin towers of equal height.
Yan found a set of twin reading lamps at the weekend market.
collocation: twin + noun describing a matching product
The hotel room had twin beds with soft white pillows.
collocation: twin beds
Niran and his twin sister share a love of science fiction movies.
The resort offered twin villas with a shared garden and a small pool between them.
- single
not part of a pair
- mismatched
does not match its partner
文法句型
twin + noun
用法筆記
Always placed immediately before the noun it describes — you cannot say 'a pair that is twin.'
常見錯誤
2. describes two linked situations or objectives that coexist in a single period —
describes two linked situations or objectives that coexist in a single period — for example, a government dealing with twin crises of drought and rising food prices.
Layla faces the twin challenge of studying for exams while working part-time.
collocation: twin challenge / twin problem
The company set twin goals for next year: to cut food waste by half and to install solar panels.
collocation: twin goals
Manuela pursued twin ambitions after finishing college: opening a small bakery and learning Japanese.
The hospital faced twin emergencies when two pile-ups happened on the same highway.
- dual
more general; can describe any two-part nature
- simultaneous
focuses on the timing aspect, not the paired relationship
- parallel
suggests two things happening alongside each other
文法句型
twin + noun (abstract)
用法筆記
Only used with abstract nouns like 'problems,' 'goals,' 'crises,' 'aims' — not with concrete objects. Distinguish from MATCHING PAIR (adj/1), which describes physical objects that form a matching set.
twin — noun
1. one of two babies who grow in the womb together and arrive on the same day — for
one of two babies who grow in the womb together and arrive on the same day — for example, a girl whose brother was delivered during the same birth.
Padma and her fraternal twin both work as nurses at the same hospital.
pattern: [name] and [possessive] twin — specifying twin type
Maeve is a twin, but her sister came out two minutes earlier.
pattern: be a twin
The twins at the science fair impressed the judges with their working volcano model.
Adaeze and her identical twin sister both showed up to the party wearing the same blue dress.
- identical twin
specifically refers to twins who share the same DNA
- fraternal twin
refers to twins who developed from separate eggs
- sibling
broader — any brother or sister, not necessarily a twin
- only child
a person with no siblings
文法句型
a twin
the twins
[possessive] twin
用法筆記
Often used in the plural form 'twins' to refer to the pair together. 'Identical twins' share the same genetic material; 'fraternal twins' develop from separate eggs and may look different.
常見錯誤
2. one of two things that look almost the same or are so closely connected they for
one of two things that look almost the same or are so closely connected they form a pair — for example, a painting that is the twin of one in another museum.
Ayesha found a blue vase at the market and its twin in an antique shop.
pattern: [noun] + twin / its twin
This statue is the exact twin of the one standing outside the museum in Rome.
pattern: the twin of [something]
Lauren bought a brass lamp at a flea market and found its twin at an estate sale.
The art collector realized the two landscape paintings were twins when she spotted the same brushwork in the clouds.
- duplicate
an exact copy, often made intentionally
- match
something that goes well with another item
- counterpart
slightly more formal; something that has a similar function or position
- opposite
completely different in character or form
文法句型
the twin of [something]
a twin to [something]
用法筆記
Often used with a possessive or 'the ... of' structure. The twin item does not have to be physically identical — it just forms a natural pair with the other.
twin — verb
1. to bring two people or things together so that they form a matching set or work
to bring two people or things together so that they form a matching set or work well in combination — for example, twinning a red wine with a cheese plate at dinner.
Samir twinned his navy suit with a mustard-yellow tie for the awards dinner.
pattern: twin [noun] with [noun]
In the cooking class, each beginner was twinned with an experienced chef.
passive: be twinned with
Nadia twinned the spicy lamb curry with a bowl of plain yogurt and warm naan bread.
Walid twinned the wooden shelves in his bookshop with warm LED strip lights along each row.
- separate
to divide or keep apart
文法句型
twin [noun] with [noun]
be twinned with [noun]
用法筆記
Commonly used in the passive ('A is twinned with B'). Less common in everyday speech — 'pair', 'match', or 'combine' are more frequent alternatives.
常見錯誤
2. to create a formal relationship between two towns or organizations, usually to e
to create a formal relationship between two towns or organizations, usually to encourage cultural exchange and visits between people from each place.
The town of Lyme Regis is twinned with a village in Brittany, France.
passive: be twinned with [place]
The two schools were twinned so that students could exchange letters and visit each other.
Tokyo's Shinjuku district is twinned with New York's Midtown and Berlin's Mitte district.
The university was twinned with a college in Kenya for a student exchange program.
文法句型
be twinned with [town/city]
用法筆記
Primarily a British English concept; the equivalent term in American English is 'sister city.' Almost always used in the passive form.
3. to give birth to two offspring at the same time — used mainly for animals such a
to give birth to two offspring at the same time — used mainly for animals such as goats, sheep, and cats that produce a pair of young in one pregnancy.
The farmer's goat twinned last spring, producing two healthy kids.
pattern: [animal] twins (intransitive)
Maeve's cat has twinned twice in three years, with black and white kittens each time.
Last winter, the shepherd's prize sheep twinned, surprising everyone with two healthy lambs.
Sirin's neighbor was thrilled when her rabbit twinned for the very first time.
- have twins
the standard phrase for humans
- give birth to twins
more formal but very common
文法句型
[animal] twins
用法筆記
Very rare for humans in modern English — instead, say 'she had twins' or 'she gave birth to twins.' The verb form 'twin' for humans sounds old-fashioned or technical.