a. Also 5 two-handes.
1. Requiring both hands to wield or manage: = next, 1.
c. 1410. Master of Game (MS. Digby 182), xi. Makary had a gret twohande staffe.
a. 1440. Sir Degrev., 1643. Two-honde swerde.
c. 1500. Melusine, xxii. 145. He held a two handes ax.
1630. R. Johnson’s Kingd. & Commw., 312. Men of large stature … [who] serve onely with the Pike or two-hand-sword.
1807. Hogg, Gilmanscleuch, lvii. His twa-hand sword hang round his neck.
2. Done, or worked, by two persons: = next, 2. † Two-hand battle, a single combat, a duel (obs.).
c. 1500. Arnolde’s Chron., Index (1811), 2. That noo citezen doo twoo hand batayle.
1538. MS. Acc. St. John’s Hosp., Canterb. Payd for haftyng off the ij hand saw. Ibid. (1614). Payd for the baryng of a too hand sawe xij d.
† 3. Leading in two directions (right-hand and left-hand). Obs. rare–1.
1607. Hieron, Defence, I. 38. At some crosse or two hand way.
