English Explanatory Dictionary

twice

English dictionary entry

Meanings

adv
  1. Two times.
  2. Doubled in quantity, intensity, or degree.

Pronunciation

/twaɪs/ [tw̥aɪs] en-us-twice.ogg

Word forms

twice

Etymology

From earlier twise, from Middle English twies, twiȝes, from Old English twīġes (“twice”), from twīwa, twīġa ("twice"; whence Middle English twie (“twice”)) + -es (adverbial genitive ending). Related to Saterland Frisian twäie (“twice”), Middle Low German twiges, twies (“twice”), Middle High German zwies (“twice”). Equivalent to twi- (“(in) two; both”) + -ce. Similarly constructed to the prefixes bis- and dis-, borrowed from Indo-European cognates.

Synonyms

double doubly two times bis twice twicet twofold

Antonyms

once thrice

Related words

once thrice two-time frequency

Derived words

a broken clock is right twice a day any day of the week and twice on Sunday any day of the week and twice on Sundays a stopped clock is right twice a day at twice buy the same horse twice even a stopped clock is right twice a day every day of the week and twice on Sunday every day of the week and twice on Sundays first cousin twice removed hit the ball twice I don't boil my cabbage twice I don't chew my cabbage twice lightning does not strike twice in the same place lightning doesn't strike twice in the same place lightning never strikes the same place twice lightning never strikes twice lightning never strikes twice in the same place measure twice and cut once money won is twice as sweet as money earned once a man, twice a boy once a man, twice a child once a woman, twice a child once or twice opportunity seldom knocks twice strike twice the candle that burns twice as bright burns half as long think twice twice as less twice-baked bread twice-borrowed twice-exceptional twice-exceptionality twice-laid twice removed twice-stabbed stink bug twice-told twice twice twice-weekly twice-yearly what happens twice happens thrice you can't step in the same river twice
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