Word.ws English Dictionary

two by four

two by four noun: a length of sawn wood of cross section nominally 2 inches by 4 inches (actual dimensions 1½ × 3½ in modern use), most often employed as structural framing lumber (dimensional lumber).

two by four: a length of sawn wood of cross section nominally 2 inches by 4 inches (actual dimensions 1½ × 3½ in...
Image: Swtpc6800 en:Swtpc6800 Michael Holley, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Noun

two by four (plural two by fours)

  1. (Canada, US) A length of sawn wood of cross section nominally 2 inches by 4 inches (actual dimensions 1½ × 3½ in modern use), most often employed as structural framing lumber (dimensional lumber).
    • Well, Moses stood on the Red Sea shore, And smote the water with a two by four1959, “Mary Don't You Weep”, performed by Nat King Cole
    • Moses stood on the Red Sea shore, smotin' that water with a two by four(Can we date this quote?), “Linin' Track”, performed by Lead Belly
  2. (Canada, US, dated) A small, modest building.
    • He'll plan a two by four / But not for me.1930, George, Ira Gershwin, “But Not for Me”
  3. (slang) Synonym of Tijuana Bible (“kind of pornographic comic book”).
    • […] the movie plot of Superman II, in which Superman and Lois Lane work up to a sexual liaison (which was seen before 1960 only in “two by fours” and similar pornographic comic strips.).2008, Barry Schwartz, Abraham Lincoln in the Post-Heroic Era, page 354
    Synonyms:
    Tijuana Bible

Synonyms of two by four

Forms of two by four

pluraltwo by fours
alternative formtwo-by-four

Words formed from two by four

Questions about two by four

What does two by four mean?
Two by four means a length of sawn wood of cross section nominally 2 inches by 4 inches (actual dimensions 1½ × 3½ in modern use), most often employed as structural framing lumber (dimensional lumber).
What part of speech is two by four?
Two by four is a noun.
What is the plural of two by four?
The plural of two by four is two by fours.

Words near two by four in the dictionary

  1. two bits
  2. two bob
  3. two bob each way
  4. Two Borders
  5. two brain cells to rub together
  6. two by four
  7. two by fours
  8. two by two
  9. two can play at that game
  10. two can play at this game
  11. two can play that game

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: two by four (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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