dyad

American  

[dahy-ad] / ˈdaɪ æd /

Sometimes diad

noun

1. a group of two; couple; pair.

2. Biology.

   1. a secondary morphological unit, consisting of two monads.

      a chromosome dyad.

   2. the double chromosomes resulting from the separation of the four chromatids of a tetrad.

3. Chemistry. an element, atom, or group having a valence of two.

4. Mathematics. two vectors with no symbol connecting them, usually considered as an operator.

5. Sociology.

   1. two persons involved in an ongoing relationship or interaction.

   2. the relationship or interaction itself.

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adjective

1. of two parts; dyadic.

dyad British  

/ ˈdaɪæd /

noun

1. maths an operator that is the unspecified product of two vectors. It can operate on a vector to produce either a scalar or vector product

2. an atom or group that has a valency of two

3. a group of two; couple

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Etymology

Origin of dyad

First recorded in 1665–75; from Greek dyad- (stem of dyás ) “pair,” equivalent to dý(o) “two” + -ad- noun suffix; two, -ad ¹

Example Sentences

Li tells me the characters came to her together, “yin and yang,” only whole as a dyad.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 20, 2022

Now, as I experience the final dyad of G and C in the cellos, I hear an even broader sense of emotional distance traveled over the course of the work.

From New York Times • Mar. 24, 2022

It was Sinema who took the lead role in the dyad this week.

From Slate • Jan. 15, 2022

The failure of the psychotherapeutic process is located at its epicenter: the power disparity in the therapeutic dyad.

From Scientific American • Jul. 12, 2020

Meanwhile, Jaime and Nicolas were growing up apart from the feminine dyad, adhering to the then common belief that “we have to become men.”

From "The House of the Spirits: A Novel" by Isabel Allende

Related Words

• combination
• couple
• duo
• match
• team
• two