Cardinal number as adj.: (a) two; (b) in generalizing phrases: ~ or (other) thre, thre or ~, two or three (persons, things, words, etc.), a few; o..or (other) ~, on or ~, etc., one or two (persons or things), a few [could also be construed as sense 2a.(a)]; o..or ~ or thre, etc.; mo than ~, more than two, several, many; (c) with somewhat diminished force in negative phrases connoting something of minimal concern, nature, or value: not worth ~ rishes, nought worth ~ fecches, worthless; mouen nought triner over ~ straues, to be unable to step over something of minimal size, be practically incapacitated; setten nought at ~ flies for, not yeven ~ botouns (pese-coddes, straues, etc.) for, nought yeven ~ flies for, etc., regard (sb. or sth.) as worthless, care nothing for; vailen not of ~ lekes, avail (sb.) nothing; (d) as predicate adj. [some quots. could also be construed as sense 2a.(a)]: two in number; also, of two kinds, twofold; (e) as predeterminer: ~ min, my two (daughters), both my; ~ the bremest beres, the two biggest bears; (f) as adv.: twice, two times; ~ so, twice as (many, deep, strong, etc.); ~ bitinge sword, a sword cutting on both sides, a two-edged sword [cp. twie adv. (d)]; (g) in proverbs and prov. expressions.

In cpds., combs., and selected phrases: (a) ~ commaundementes of charite, the commandments to love God and to love one's neighbor; ~ deles (del, partes, parties), in expressions of fractions: two-thirds; also, expressing proportion in recipes: two parts (of one substance); ~ peni ale, ale costing twopence, ale of good quality [cp. peni-ale n.]; ~ peni nail, a size and type of nail costing twopence per hundred; ~ penies, a coin worth two pennies, a twopence; peni(es of ~ penies, the name of a counterfeit twopence coin; ~ pounde, the name of a rent; ~ yer, a period of two years; dedes ~ bondes, spiritual and physical death; o (on) ~ half, on both sides; (b) in fig. phrases, usu. proverbial, denoting duplicity or hypocrisy: ~ faces (hedes, tonges, visages); also, in derisive epithet: ~ tonge(s; (c) with ppl.: ~ egged (pointed), of a sword: having two cutting edges (points), double-edged; ~ coloured, having in succession two different colors; ~ forked, having two prongs or extensions; ~ foted, having two feet or legs, bipedal; ~ heded, having two heads; ~ tonged, fig. duplicitous, hypocritical; also as a derisive epithet; (d) ~ honde (honded, hondes), of a sword, an axe, etc.: to be wielded by both hands, requiring the use of two hands; ~ mannes (mennes) shete, a kind of cloth, prob. of double weave; ~ shafted cloth, ?a type of cloth produced on two sets of weaving shafts; ?double-woven cloth, twill; (e) used pleonastically or emphatically, or as rime tag, with ref. to twins, paired body parts, etc.: ~ armes (eien, eres, hondes, etc.), eien (hondes, legges, twinnes, etc.) ~; bones ~, a pair of dice; here ~ bodies (lives), both of their bodies (lives); faren (gon) on ~ fet, to walk upright; be bipedal; (f) used in pleonastic combs.: bo (bothe) ~, both; bo ~ his hondes (hire susteres, etc.), bothe ~ his hondes (these thinges, etc.).

Cardinal number as noun: (a) two persons, things, etc.; a pair of lovers, disputants, etc.; other ~, another two persons or tales; som other ~, some other two limbs, a different two limbs; (b) in partitive constructions with poss. pron. or of phrase: here ~, theire twois, of the two of them; ~ of, two of (a number of persons, things, etc.); also, in constr. without of: ~ the best (derest), two of the best (dearest) [cp. the parallel adj. constr. in sense 1a.(e), which here appears to have been reinterpreted as a partitive; see Mustanoja Middle English Syntax 299-300]; (c) as an epithet for God, with ref. to the triune nature of the Godhead: on (and) ~ and thre; also, a dual state or nature; in thre and ~ and on; (d) in generalizing phrases expressing a somewhat indefinite number: ~ or thre, on or ~, etc., two or three (one or two) persons, things, etc.; a few; also in partitive constr. with of [2nd quot.]; (e) two mutually exclusive or opposing conditions, qualities, etc.; two opposites, two extremes; atwixen (bitwene, bitwixe) ~, intermediate between or partaking of two opposite states, qualities, etc.; in between; also, ?in a defensive or mediating position [2nd quot.]; (f) two o'clock; (g) astrol. the second degree (of a zodiacal sign); game. a cast of two at dice, a deuce; (h) two as an abstract number; (i) in expressions of multiplication: swich ~, two times as many; twice as much; (j) in proverbs and prov. expressions.

Used pleonastically, freq. emphatically or as rime tag, with ref. to two persons, things, etc. specified in the context: (a) in combs. serving as periphrastic dual pers. pronouns: hem (hem-self, thei, theim, unk, us, we, ye, you) ~; (b) in combs. with dem. or rel. adjectives: the (these, tho, which, etc.) ~; (c) with gen. of the synonymous twein num.: of tweire ~, of the two following things; (d) bo (bothe) ~, both [see also bo num. 2. and bothe num. 3.(d)];—freq. used in loose apposition to preceding noun or pron.

In selected phrases: (a) ~ for ~, two against two, two on two; bi) ~ and ~, two by two, in pairs; also, as a companion, closely; bi ~ and (or) thre, bi ~ (and) bi thre, by twos and threes; bitwene (bitwixe) ~ and ~, between each pair; ben compouned bi ~ and (bi) ~, ben divided bi ~, astron. of the circles marked on the plate of an astrolabe: to be drawn or marked every two degrees; (b) in (on, o, ?of) ~, following verbs of breaking, cleaving, dividing, severing, etc.: into two halves or parts, in half, in two; to pieces, apart, asunder; also fig.; also, following verb of departing: from one another [quot. a1500 (?c1400)].

In compound numbers: (a) ~ hund (hundred, thousand, hundred thousand); (b) ~ and twenti (thriti, fourti, etc.); ~ and thriti thousand (twenti hundreds); ~ yer and on half; four score yer and ~; seven (twenti) hundred and ~; etc.; (c) ~ and thritithe (fiftithe, etc.); ~ hundred yer and eighte and thritithe yer; etc.; (d) in expressions of fractions: ~ halven-deles (thrid parties), two halves (thirds); (e) ~ hundredfold, two hundredfold.

In surnames and place names [see Smith PNElem.2.199; the Ches. place name Twemlow could also belong to twein num., only exx. with back vowels being given here].