twain

1 of 3

noun

1
: two
2

twain

2 of 3

pronoun

: two
especially : two fathoms
mark twain

twain

3 of 3

adjective

archaic
: two

Examples of twain in a Sentence

Noun I like rap and my parents like country music, and never the twain shall meet in our house.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The Victorian world was cleft in twain, with men on one side, and women on the other. Hugh Ryan, Town & Country, 25 May 2022 Never the twain shall meet. Kevin Koenig, Robb Report, 1 July 2022 My head might cleave in twain! Washington Post, 18 Nov. 2021 Fruit is the opposite of cake, and never the twain shall mix. Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, 17 Nov. 2021 In Alabama, the ‘twain just don’t meet. Roy S. Johnson | Rjohnson@al.com, al, 15 Aug. 2021 And never the twain shall meet. Danzy Senna, The Atlantic, 3 Aug. 2021 Writing was writing, art was art, and never the twain should meet. Laura Blasey, Los Angeles Times, 3 Dec. 2022 But today, the Trondheim twain is working on dialing in their one-year intensive and immersive music program for artists, producers, and songwriters. Amanda Peukert, SPIN, 5 Oct. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'twain.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, from Old English twēgen — more at two

First Known Use

Noun

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Pronoun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of twain was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near twain

Cite this Entry

“Twain.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/twain. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

twain

noun
ˈtwān
1
2
: two persons or things : couple, pair

Biographical Definition

Twain

biographical name

Mark see clemens

More from Merriam-Webster on twain

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