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Glite Dictionary
conjoined twin

conjoined twin

9 5.5
A person born physically joined to their identical twin at one or more body parts
  • noun
  • /kənˈdʒɔɪnd twɪn/
translation icon : gemelo unido
  • Charity May and Kathleen Faith are conjoined twins who share a unique bond as they navigate life together.
  • separate conjoined twins
  • relationship between conjoined twins
  • case of conjoined twins

All right, well, Abby and Brittany, the people we were talking about last week on the show, the conjoined twins, they asked if they can come and join BFFS.

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Examples

  • The book is about conjoined twins Kendra and Maliyah Herrin of Salt Lake City, who were separated in a 25-hour operation in 2006.

    Academic text (2010)

  • And it's very rare for conjoined twins to make it and like to live.

  • This was the last interview the conjoined twins would ever give.

    Sisters (1973)

  • No, this one is about the conjoined twins who found happiness.

    For a Good Time, Call... (2012)

  • The live birth of conjoined twins is an extremely rare occurrence.

    Academic text (2001)

  • If I were a conjoined twin, I'd simply accept my fate and take it all with good humor.

    Blog text (17)

  • For example, no one doubts that Abby and Brittany Hensel, conjoined twins happily living in Minnesota, are two individuals.

    Academic text (2001)

  • The first celebrated conjoined twins of the modern era were Chang and Eng Bunker, star attractions of the Barnum & Bailey Circus

    Sisters (2006)

  • The rare condition of being a conjoined twin presents many challenges, but many find joy in their shared experiences.

  • After extensive surgery, the doctors successfully separated the conjoined twins, giving them a chance to live independently.

Synonyms

Siamese twin
vsconjoined twin
  • Archaic
10 7.2

One of two babies whose bodies are joined at birth

has identical meaning but follows a different traditional name

Surface Forms

conjoined twin singular
conjoined twins plural

Morphology

conjoined + twin

The meaning is directly compositional: 'conjoined' means 'joined together' and 'twin' means 'one of two siblings', so the phrase straightforwardly denotes a twin who is physically joined to their sibling. This adjective+noun pattern is a transparent, cross-linguistically common construction, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would understand the MWE.

Etymology

The noun conjoined twin comes from a simple image: conjoined means 'joined together' and twin means 'one of two babies born at the same time'. So the phrase describes twins who are physically connected at birth.