two-by-four: Meaning and Definition of

two-by-four

1. two units thick and four units wide, esp. in inches.
2. lacking adequate space; cramped: a small, two-by-four room.
3. unimportant; insignificant: Theirs was a petty, two-by-four operation.

1. a timber measuring 2 by 4 in. (5 × 10 cm) in cross section, when untrimmed: equivalent to 1 by 3 in. (4 × 9 cm) when trimmed.