dual

American  

[doo-uhl, dyoo-] / ˈdu əl, ˈdyu- /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or noting two.

2. composed or consisting of two people, items, parts, etc., together; twofold; double.

   dual ownership;

   dual controls on a plane.

3. having a twofold, or double, character or nature.

4. Grammar. being or pertaining to a member of the category of number, as in Old English, Old Russian, or Arabic, that denotes two of the things in question.

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noun

Grammar.

1. the dual number.

2. a form in the dual, as Old English git “you two,” as contrasted with ge “you” referring to three or more.

dual British  

/ ˈdjuːəl /

adjective

1. relating to or denoting two

2. twofold; double

3. (in the grammar of Old English, Ancient Greek, and certain other languages) denoting a form of a word indicating that exactly two referents are being referred to

4. maths logic (of structures or expressions) having the property that the interchange of certain pairs of terms, and usually the distribution of negation, yields equivalent structures or expressions

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noun

1. grammar

   1. the dual number

   2. a dual form of a word

verb

1. (tr) to make (a road) into a dual carriageway

Other Word Forms

• dually adverb

Etymology

Origin of dual

First recorded in 1535–45; from Latin duālis “containing two, relating to a pair,” equivalent to du(o) two + -ālis -al ¹

Example Sentences

Where there actually could be some consensus between parties is about the broader issue of the lord advocate's dual role.

From BBC

The lord advocate has a dual role as Scotland's chief prosecutor, as well as acting as the government's principal legal advisor, a role she performs as a cabinet minister.

From BBC

The British-Latvian dual national is among those who say they have been caught out by upcoming changes to passport rules for dual nationals, which are due to kick in on 25 February.

From BBC

For Gomis, addressing the question of dual identity means dealing with "different ways of talking about the same thing at heart".

From Barron's

“What I think effectively changes is what Warsh wants to do is bring the Fed back to its traditional mission, not the dual mandate,” said Caron.

From Barron's