Twice

Part of speech: adverb

Pronunciation: /twaɪs/

Definitions

1. Occurring or happening on two separate occasions or at two different times
2. Taking place two times in total or on two distinct instances
3. Happening a pair of times with intervals or separations

Etymology: "Twice" is a plain, ancient formation: it was built from the root for "two" with a genitive-style ending. In Old English, "twīwa" and "twīġa" meant "twice," and adding "-es," a marker that turned a noun into an adverb of manner or time, produced "twīġes." Over the Middle English period this softened to "twies" and then "twise," before the modern spelling settled in. The "-es" ending is the same kind that gives English words like "always" and "needs," which is why the word feels grammatically tidy rather than fanciful. The "twi-" part is the element that also survives in "twin" and "between," all pointing to the idea of two.

Synonyms: two times, double, dually, twofold, repeatedly