twenties
|twen/ties|
/ˈtwɛntiz/
(twenty)
group of two tens
Etymology
'twenty' originates from Old English, specifically the word 'twēntig', where 'twēn' meant 'two' and '-tig' meant 'group of ten'.
'twēntig' came from Proto-Germanic elements meaning 'two' + 'ten' and changed into Middle English 'twentie' before becoming the modern English 'twenty'.
Initially it literally meant 'two tens'; over time the form and pronunciation evolved but the core numeric meaning of '20' has been retained.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
plural form of 'twenty' — referring to multiple units of the number 20 (e.g., two twenties = 40).
Forty is made of two twenties.
Noun 2
plural form used for twenty-dollar (or twenty-pound, etc.) bills/notes — 'twenties' meaning banknotes of value 20.
He paid with a stack of twenties.
Synonyms
Noun 3
the age range from 20 to 29 — used in phrases like 'in their twenties'.
She's in her twenties.
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Noun 4
a decade of a century from year x20 to x29 — often 'the Twenties' refers specifically to the 1920s.
The Twenties were known as the Roaring Twenties.
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Idioms
Last updated: 2025/08/16 14:42