Literary or formal term for both hands, often used in poetic or descriptive contexts. In everyday speech, 両手 (りょうて) is more common.
He spread both hands and basked in the evening sun.
Standard kanji spelling for this compound.
Kana spelling for the first element, used when the kanji 双 is avoided or for clarity.
Compound of 双 (そう, 'pair') + の (possessive particle) + 手 (て, 'hand'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the structure is transparent.