dual

Pluralduals

Formsduals

1. 1
   adjective

   Having two parts that are usually equal or matching.

   Like a pair of identical engines working side by side.

   The plane has dual controls so either pilot can fly it.

   This stove offers dual burners of equal size.

   Similardouble, twin

   Oppositesingle

   Note
2. 2
   adjective

   Relating to two things or to a pair.

   Like the number two: it always points to a pair.

   The word carries a dual meaning depending on the context.

   Her dual role as mother and manager kept her busy.

   Similardouble, duplicate, twofold

   Oppositesingle

   Note
3. 3
   adjective

   In some languages, used for a special word form that means exactly two of something.

   Like having a word ending that means "exactly two," separate from "one" or "many."

   Ancient Greek uses a dual form for things that come in pairs, like eyes.

   The language marks dual endings on nouns that refer to exactly two people.

   Note
4. 4
   nouncountable

   In grammar, the special word form used when talking about exactly two of something.

   Like having a special word for exactly two: not one, and not many.

   Slovene is one of the few modern languages that still uses the dual.

   Over centuries, the dual merged into the plural in most Germanic languages.

   Note
5. 5
   adjective

   Having two forms that match each other in a balanced, mirror-like way.

   Like a mirror image: two versions that match but with the sides swapped.

   Light shows dual behavior, acting like both a wave and a particle.

   The two equations are dual descriptions of the same situation.

   Note
6. 6
   nouncountable

   The matching second thing in a pair, when you already have one of them.

   Like one shoe looking for its missing partner.

   Each sock had lost its dual somewhere in the laundry.

   He picked up one chopstick and searched the drawer for its dual.

   Similarcounterpart, partner, mate, match

7. 7
   nouncountable

   A sports contest between just two teams, often two schools.

   Like a one-on-one game where only two teams face off, not a big tournament.

   Our wrestling team won the dual against the rival high school.

   The swim coach scheduled three duals before the big championship.

   Similarmeet

   Note
8. 8
   verbtransitive

   To rebuild a single road so it has two separated lanes for each direction.

   Like turning a narrow street into a wide road split into two halves.

   The government plans to dual the busy coastal road next year.

   Workers dualed the highway to cut down on traffic jams.

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9. 9
   adjective

   In math, describing a space made from all the linear functions of another space.

   Mathematicians study the dual space to understand linear functionals.

   Every finite-dimensional space matches its dual space in size.

   Note
10. 10
    nouncountable

    In math, the linear function tied to a vector that takes its inner product with other vectors.

    Every vector in the space has its own dual under the inner product.

    The duals of the basis vectors form the dual basis.

    Note
11. 11
    nouncountable

    In geometry, the matching shape made by swapping the corners and faces of a solid shape.

    Like turning a shape inside out, so its points become flat sides and its sides become points.

    The dual of a cube is an octahedron.

    Each Platonic solid has a dual among the same five shapes.

    Note
12. 12
    adjective

    In math, describing a category with the same objects but with all its arrows pointing the opposite way.

    Like playing a video backward: the same scenes, but every move goes the other way.

    The dual category reverses every arrow in the original.

    A statement proved in one category holds in the dual category by symmetry.

    Similaropposite

    Note

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