Twin, v. i. To depart from a place or
thing. [Obs.] "Ere that we farther twin." Chaucer.
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 (Linnæa
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.
☞ The relative position of the parts of a twin may be explained by
supposing one part to be revolved 180° 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.