number two

American  

noun

number twos plural

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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Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

• number twos
  plural

Etymology

Origin of number two

First recorded in 1905–10

Example Sentences

He calls Rocket Lab the “clear” number two space play behind SpaceX and says the company “could achieve a similar growth trajectory” soon.

From Barron's • Jun. 15, 2026

She won two matches on Friday, including a superb victory over world number two Elena Rybakina in her quarter-final.

From BBC • Jun. 13, 2026

He comes in at number two here, but there is no one more box office than Maradona - a statement epitomised by his World Cup summers.

From BBC • Jun. 11, 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

There were a couple of other kids in the freshman crew that looked real good too—a big, muscular, quiet boy named Gordy Adam in the number five seat, and Johnny White in number two.

From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown