a. (sb.), adv. Forms: α. 2, 5– Sc., twafald, 5 Sc. twa faulde, 9 Sc. twafauld, (twa-fall). β. 3 twouold; 4 twofolde, 6 two folde, twofoulde, 7 twofolde; 5–6 two fold, 7–9 two-fold, 7– twofold. [app. orig. a refashioning of TWIFOLD, after TWO; in later use perh. independently f. TWO + -FOLD.]

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  A.  adj.

2

  † 1.  Double (in fig. sense); double-minded, wavering. Obs.

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c. 1175.  Lamb. Hom., 151. Anfald oðer twafald is ech mon…. Þe twafalde Mon is unstaþelfest on alle his weies.

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  2.  a. Consisting of two folds or layers.

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a. 1225.  Ancr. R., 50. Þe cloð in ham beo twouold.

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  b.  Folded or bent double. (Cf. B. 1.) Sc.

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1821.  Blackw. Mag., Jan., 402/1. My auld auntie, wha’s twafauld with the rheumatics.

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  3.  Consisting of two combined; composed of two parts or elements; existing in two relations or manners; of two kinds; double, dual.

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  a.  in abstract or general sense.

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1559.  W. Cunningham, Cosmogr. Glasse, 17. I finde a twofoulde difference betwixt a sphere, and a circle.

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1610.  Holland, Camden’s Brit. (1637), 102. A twofold victorie.

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1691.  Norris, Pract. Disc., 321. The object of the Divine Will … is Twofold, either the object of his Will Decreeing, or … of his Will Commanding.

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1774.  Goldsm., Nat. Hist. (1776), I. 399. The earth … seen with its twofold motion; producing, by the one, the change of seasons; and, by the other, the … vicissitudes of day and night.

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1875.  Helps, Ess., Self-Discipl., 19. Man, a creature of twofold nature, body and soul.

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  b.  in concrete sense, of material objects.

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1605.  Shaks., Macb. IV. i. 121. Some … That two-fold Balles, and trebble Scepters carry.

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a. 1721.  Prior, 2nd Hymn of Callimachus, 64. Ewes, that erst brought forth but single Lambs, Now drop’d their Two-fold Burdens.

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1794.  Nelson, in Nicolas, Disp. (1845), I. 379. Two three-fold blocks, and two two-fold blocks.

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1888.  Lady, 25 Oct., 374/3. The twofold [photograph] screens with … space for panel portraits.

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  4.  Double in amount; twice as great.

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1812.  Crabbe, Tales, xii. 176. More charming grew the Fair, And seem’d to watch him with a two-fold care.

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1873.  B. Stewart, Conserv. Force, iii. 49. The double system will now attract the single system with twofold force.

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  5.  Of yarn: Consisting of two strands twisted into one.

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1880.  Daily News, 7 Dec., 2/8. Two-fold yarns are rather more in request. Ibid. (1883), 22 Oct., 7/1. Two-fold yarns … command improved rates more readily than single wefts. Ibid. (1894), 20 March, 7/3. The trade in twofold yarns shows some improvement.

25

  b.  as sb. Also attrib.

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1884.  W. S. B. McLaren, Spinning (ed. 2), 239. Twisting two or more threads together that have already been each made into two-fold.

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1888.  Daily News, 25 Sept., 2/5. Transactions in twofolds and singles are still somewhat restricted. Ibid. (1895), 3 Feb., 2/5. Twofold spinners are getting more work.

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1910.  Encycl. Brit., VII. 277/1 (Cotton). China also takes 40s mule, water twists and twofolds.

29

  B.  adv.

30

  1.  In two folds; so as to be folded or doubled. Chiefly Sc. of persons.

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c. 1394.  P. Pl. Crede, 516. Þe glose is so greit in gladding tales, þat turneþ vp two-folde vnteyned opon trewþe.

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c. 1425.  Wyntoun, Cron., VIII. xxxii. 5595. A stane … has hym ourtane, And twa faulde [v.r. twafald] downe can him bere.

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1523.  Fitzherb., Husb., § 62. Bynde a clothe two or thre folde vpon his foreheed.

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1721.  Ramsay, Ode to Ph—, ix. Before auld age … lay ye twalald o’er a rung.

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a. 1802.  Johnie of Breadislee, xviii., in Scott, Min. He’s laid him twa-fald ower his steed.

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1894.  ‘Ian Maclaren,’ Bonnie Brier Bush, Highl. Mystic, i. He wes bent twa fad; a’ doot it’s a titch o’ rheumatism, or maybe lumbago.

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  2.  To twice the amount, twice as much, doubly.

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1526.  Tindale, Matt. xxiii. 15. Ye make hym two folde more the chylde off hell then ye youre selves are.

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1637.  Gillespie, Eng. Pop. Cerem., II. i. 6. It twofolde more scandalizeth such a one.

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  Hence Twofoldly (also 2 twafaldeliche) adv., in a twofold manner, doubly; Twofoldness, the quality of being twofold, doubleness, duality. So Twofolded ppl. a. [f. TWO + FOLDED], folded in two, folded double.

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1887.  Morris, Odyss., XI. 361. Wrapping it round *twofolded.

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c. 1175.  Lamb. Hom., 5. Nu ic eou habbe þet godspel iseid anfaldeliche, nu scule ȝe understonden *twafaldeliche þet hit bi-tacnet.

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1648.  Hexham, II. Tweevoudighlick, Twofoldly or Doubly.

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1827.  Coleridge, in Lit. Rem. (1839), IV. 310. The *twofoldness of the Christian Church.

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1861.  W. Barnes, in Macm. Mag., June, 128. That we should have two legs, or two hands,… this twofoldness of life-forms.

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