different between equal vs twin

English

Alternative forms

• æqual (archaic), æquall (archaic)

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin aequ?lis, of unknown origin. Doublet of egal.

Pronunciation

• enPR: ?k'w?l, IPA^(key): /?i?kw?l/
• Rhymes: -i?kw?l

Adjective

equal (not generally comparable, comparative more equal, superlative most equal)

1. (not comparable) The same in all respects.
   • 1705, George Cheyne, The Philosophical Principles of Religion Natural and Revealed

     They who are not disposed to receive them may let them alone or reject them; it is equal to me.

2. (mathematics, not comparable) Exactly identical, having the same value.
3. (obsolete) Fair, impartial.
   • Are not my ways equal?
4. (comparable) Adequate; sufficiently capable or qualified.
   • 1881, Jane Austen, Emma, page 311

     her comprehension was certainly more equal to the covert meaning, the superior intelligence, of those five letters so arranged.

   • much less is it in my power to make my commendations equal to your merits.

   • 1842, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Threnody

     […] whose voice an equal messenger / Conveyed thy meaning mild.

5. (obsolete) Not variable; equable; uniform; even.

   • an equal temper

6. (music) Intended for voices of one kind only, either all male or all female; not mixed.

Usage notes

• In mathematics, this adjective can be used in phrases like "A and B are equal", "A is equal to B", and, less commonly, "A is equal with B".
• The most common comparative use is the ironic expression more equal.

Synonyms

• (the same in all respects): identical
• (the same in all relevant respects): equivalent
• (unvarying): even, fair, uniform, unvarying

Translations

Verb

equal (third-person singular simple present equals, present participle (Commonwealth) equalling or (US) equaling, simple past and past participle (Commonwealth) equalled or (US) equaled)

1. (mathematics, copulative) To be equal to, to have the same value as; to correspond to.

2. (transitive) To make equivalent to; to cause to match.

3. (informal) To have as its consequence.

Synonyms

• (to be equal to): be, is
• (informal, have as its consequence): entail, imply, lead to, mean, result in, spell

Translations

Noun

equal (plural equals)

1. A person or thing of equal status to others.

   • Those who were once his equals envy and defame him.
2. (obsolete) State of being equal; equality.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Spenser to this entry?)

Synonyms

• (person or thing of equal status to others): peer

Derived terms

Related terms

• equality

Translations

Anagrams

• Quale, quale, queal

English

Alternative forms

• twynne (obsolete)

Pronunciation

• enPR: tw?n, IPA^(key): /tw?n/, [tw??n]
• Rhymes: -?n

Etymology 1

From Middle English twinne, twynne, from Old English ?etwin, ?etwinn (“twin, multiple”, noun) and twinn (“twin, two-fold, double, two by two”, adjective), from Proto-Germanic *twinjaz, *twinaz (“two each”), from Proto-Indo-European *dwino- (“twin”), from *dwóh? (“two”). Cognate with Scots twyn (“twin”), Dutch tweeling (“twin”), German Zwilling (“twin”), Swedish tvilling (“twin”), Faroese tvinnur (“a double set”), Icelandic tvenna (“duo, pair”), Lithuanian dvynys (“twin”), Russian ?????? (dvojnja, “twin”).

Noun

twin (plural twins)

1. Either of two people (or, less commonly, animals) who shared the same uterus at the same time; one who was born at the same birth as a sibling.
2. Either of two similar or closely related objects, entities etc.
3. A room in a hotel, guesthouse, etc. with two beds; a twin room.
4. (US) A twin size mattress or a bed designed for such a mattress.
5. (aviation) A two-engine aircraft.
6. (crystallography) A twin crystal.

Synonyms

• twindle, twinling, doublet (in the sense of twins and triplets)

Derived terms

Translations

See also

• twyndyllyng
• (hotel room): single, double
• twain

Verb

twin (third-person singular simple present twins, present participle twinning, simple past and past participle twinned)

1. (transitive, obsolete outside Scotland) To separate, divide.
2. (intransitive, obsolete outside Scotland) To split, part; to go away, depart.
3. (usually in the passive) To join, unite; to form links between (now especially of two places in different countries).

   • Still we moved / Together, twinned, as horse's ear and eye.

4. (intransitive) To be paired or suited.
5. (intransitive) To give birth to twins.
6. (intransitive, obsolete) To be born at the same birth.

See also

• sister city

Etymology 2

From Middle English *twin, *twyn, from Old English twin, twinn (“twin; double”, adjective), from Proto-Germanic *tw?hnaz (“occurring in a pair; twofold; double”), from Proto-Indo-European *dwóh? (“two”). Cognate with Icelandic tvennur (“double”), Gothic ???????????????????????????????? (tweihnai, “two each”).

Adjective

twin (not comparable)

1. double; dual; occurring as a matching pair

2. forming a pair of twins.

Synonyms

• (forming a matched pair): twofold; see also Thesaurus:dual

Derived terms

Translations

Further reading

• twin in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• twin in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• twin at OneLook Dictionary Search

Anagrams

• Wint

Old English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /twin/

Adjective

twin

1. Alternative form of twinn

Declension