bīni, ae, a (in sing. only twice, Lucr. 4, 452, and 5, 877; gen. plur. always binūm, Sisenn. ap. Non. p. 80, 4; Sall. H. 3, 22 Dietsch; Plin. 31, 6, 31, § 57; Scrib. Comp. 8), num. distr. [bis].
I Two by two , two to each , two each , two at a time : nam ex his praediis talenta argenti bina Statim capiebat, every year two talents , Ter. Phorm. 789: describebat censores binos in singulas civitates, Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 53, § 133: si unicuique bini pedes (campi) assignentur, two to each , id. Agr. 2, 31, 84: distribuit binos (gladiatores) singulis patribus familiarum, id. Att. 7, 14, 2; Caes. B. C. 1, 25 fin. : annua imperia binosque imperatores sibi fecere, Sall. C. 6, 7: Carthagine quotannis annui bini reges creabantur, Nep. Hann. 7, 4: illos binas aut amplius domos continuare, Sall. C. 20, 11: si inermes cum binis vestimentis velitis ab Sagunto exire, Liv. 21, 13, 7: bini senatores singulis cohortibus propositi, id. 3, 69, 8; 10, 30, 10: dentes triceni bini viris attribuuntur, Plin. 7, 16, 15, § 71; 36, 9, 14, § 69.—
B Taking the place of the cardinal number duo, with substt. which are plur. only, or with those which have a diff. signif. in the plur. from the sing. (cf. Serv. ad Verg. A. 8, 168): binae (litterae), two , Cic. Att. 6, 1, 9: bina castra, id. Phil. 12, 11, 27: binae hostium copiae, id. Imp. Pomp. 4, 9; Val. Max. 1, 6, 2: inter binos ludos, Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 52, § 130; cf.: binis centesimis faeneratus est, id. ib. 2, 3, 70, § 165: bini codicilli, Suet. Oth. 10.—Esp.: bina milia, two thousand , Sisenn. ap. Non. p. 80, 4: bina milia passuum, Quint. 6, 3, 77.—
II Of things that are in pairs or double, a pair , double , two : boves bini, a yoke of oxen , Plaut. Pers. 2, 5, 16; Lucr. 5, 1299: si forte oculo manus uni subdita supter Pressit eum... Omnia quae tuimur fieri tum bina tuendo, bina lumina, Binaque supellex, etc., Lucr. 4, 449 sqq.: corpus, id. 5, 879: binos (scyphos) habebam, a pair , two of like form , Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 14, § 32: per binos tabellarios, id. Att. 6, 1, 9; id. Fam. 10, 33, 3: aeribus binis, Lucr. 4, 292: bina hastilia, Verg. A. 1, 313: aures, id. G. 1, 172: frena, id. A. 8, 168: fetus, id. E. 3, 30.—
B Without subst.: nec findi in bina secando, into two parts , Lucr. 1, 534: si bis bina quot essent didicisset, Cic. N. D. 2, 18, 49.—
III Bini, in mal. part. (cf. βινεῖ), Cic. Fam. 9, 22, 3.