What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Dual vs Twin - What's the difference?

dual | twin |

As nouns the difference between dual and twin

is that dual is of an item that is one of a pair, the other item in the pair while twin is 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.

As an adjective dual

is exhibiting duality; characterized by having two (usually equivalent) components.

As a verb twin is

to separate, divide.

dual

English

Alternative forms

*

Adjective

(-)
  • Exhibiting duality; characterized by having two (usually equivalent) components.
  • Acting as a counterpart.
  • Double.
  • dual-headed computer
  • (grammar) Pertaining to grammatical number (as in singular and plural), referring to two of something, such as a pair of shoes, in the context of the singular', '''plural''' and in some languages, ' trial grammatical number. Modern Arabic displays a dual number, as did Homeric Greek.
  • (linear algebra)
  • (category theory)
  • Derived terms

    * duality * dualism

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • Of an item that is one of a pair, the other item in the pair.
  • (geometry) Of a regular polyhedron with V'' vertices and ''F'' faces, the regular polyhedron having ''F'' vertices and ''V faces.
  • The octahedron is the dual of the cube.
  • (grammar) dual number The grammatical number of a noun marking two of something (as in singular, dual, plural), sometimes referring to two of anything (a couple of', ' exactly two of ), or a chirality-marked pair (as in left and right, as with gloves or shoes) or in some languages as a discourse marker, "between you and me". A few languages display trial number.
  • (mathematics) Of a vector in an inner product space, the linear functional corresponding to taking the inner product with that vector. The set of all duals is a vector space called the dual space.
  • See also

    * * unal * duel

    Anagrams

    * * * ----

    twin

    English

    Alternative forms

    * twynne (obsolete)

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • 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.
  • Either of two similar or closely related objects, entities etc.
  • A room in a hotel, guesthouse, etc. with two beds; a twin room.
  • (US) A twin size mattress or a bed designed for such a mattress.
  • A twin crystal.
  • (modifier) Forming a pair of twins.
  • the twin boys
  • (modifier) Forming a matched pair.
  • twin socks

    Derived terms

    * conjoined twin * identical twin * Siamese twin *twincest

    Synonyms

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

    See also

    * twyndyllyng * (hotel room) single, double * twain

    Verb

    (twinn)
  • (transitive, obsolete, outside, Scotland) To separate, divide.
  • (intransitive, obsolete, outside, Scotland) To split, part; to go away, depart.
  • (usually in the passive) To join, unite; to form links between (now especially of two places in different countries).
  • Placetown in England is twinned with Machinville in France.
    For example, Coventry twinned with Dresden as an act of peace and reconciliation, both cities having been heavily bombed during the war.
  • * Tennyson
  • Still we moved / Together, twinned , as horse's ear and eye.
  • To give birth to twins.
  • * 1874 , Thomas Hardy, Far from the Madding Crowd
  • “I’ve run to tell ye,” said the junior shepherd, supporting his exhausted youthful frame against the doorpost, “that you must come directly. Two more ewes have twinned — that’s what’s the matter, Shepherd Oak.”
  • (obsolete) To be born at the same birth.
  • (Shakespeare)

    See also

    * sister city