number two

American  

noun

1. someone or something that is second in rank, order, or importance.

2. defecation: used especially by or with reference to children.

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idioms

1. make / do / go number two, to defecate: used especially by or with reference to children.

number two British  

noun

1. euphemistic the act or an instance of defecation

2. a haircut in which the hair is cut close to the head with an electric shaver

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Etymology

Origin of number two

First recorded in 1905–10

Example Sentences

Going into Friday's listing, Musk's wealth stood at $782 billion, according to the Forbes list of the world's richest people, nearing three times that of number two, Google co-founder Larry Page.

From Barron's • Jun. 12, 2026

Jones, who at that point was Reeves' number two, replied: "It doesn't fill you with confidence."

From BBC • Jun. 4, 2026

The economy ministry noted that in particular there was now a "clear trade imbalance" between the world's number two and number three economies.

From Barron's • May 27, 2026

World number two Elena Rybakina suffered a surprise second-round defeat by 55th-ranked Yuliia Starodubtseva in the biggest French Open upset so far.

From BBC • May 27, 2026

She poked her head in the room, looked at me, then at my hand and saw it was wrapped, shook her head, closed the door, and headed off to job number two.

From "When I Was the Greatest" by Jason Reynolds