I. ˈdəbəl adjective
Etymology: Middle English, from Old French doble, double, from Latin duplus, from du- (from duo two) + -plus multiplied by; akin to Old Frisian twī fil doubt, Old High German zwī val, Gothic twei fls doubt, Middle Irish dīa bul double, Greek diploos double, Old English fealdan to fold — more at two , fold
1. : having a twofold relation or character : combining two often dissimilar things or qualities : dual
the wonderful double gift of seeing and saying — Carlos Baker
a discussion of verbs with double function … verbs used both transitively and intransitively — A.M.Sturtevant
2. : consisting of two usually combined members, things, or sets : having two parts joined together : forming a pair
double balconies running around three sides of a grassy courtyard — Tom Marvel
an egg with a double yolk
3. : being two times as great or as many : multiplied by two : twofold
the college had double the number of expected applicants
was produced in quantities double the prewar output
4. : characterized by duplicity : acting two parts or in two ways, one usually being praiseworthy and the other blameworthy : deceitful , hypocritical , insincere
never speaks with a double tongue — T.B.Costain
a double agent … pretending to serve the Nazis while actually working for the British — New York Herald Tribune
5. : folded in two : doubled
letters written on double sheets of stationery
6. : made, being, or having parts twice as large, strong, or valuable: as
a. of a coin : worth two of the specified unit
double ducat
double taler
b. printing : of twice or almost twice the belly-to-back size of — used only of pre-point-system type names
double great primer
double paragon
double pica
— compare two-line
c. : having the shorter dimension doubled — used of a paper size
crown is 15 x 20 and double crown is 30 x 20
— compare quad
7.
a. : of extra size, strength, or value
a mighty mug of … double ale — Lord Byron
b. : having more than the normal number of floral leaves often at the expense of the sporophylls
double stamens
— used especially of cultivated plants
8. music
a. : duple 2a
b. : sounding an octave lower than the single or normal instrument
9.
a. of meter : duple 2b
b. of rhyme : having two syllables
10. of a card game : played with two full packs of cards mixed together
double pinochle
II. noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English, from double, adjective
1. : something twice the ordinary size, strength, speed, quantity, or value: as
a.
(1) : an old French billon coin worth about two deniers
(2) : a copper or bronze coin of Guernsey worth about 1/8 English penny
b. : any of various feasts in the Roman Catholic church ranking above a simple in order of precedence
c. : a 16-foot organ stop
d. doubles plural : a game between two pairs of players
played three sets of doubles
his doubles partner
e. : a two-base hit in baseball
led the league in doubles
f. Britain : a double count made with a single stroke in billiards (as by pocketing both cue ball and object ball)
g. : the catching of two fish on one line at the same cast
h. : double time — usually used with on or at
marched back again on the double — Earle Birney
began to march at the double — Francis Hackett
i. doubles plural : sheet metal having a thickness of approximately 1/32 inch
2. : one that is the counterpart of another : copy , duplicate : as
a.
(1) : a living person that closely resembles another living person
thought I saw you on the street yesterday but it turned out to be your double
(2) : the apparition of a living person : wraith
the appearance of a double or fetch has ever been held … to signify approaching death — R.A.Procter
b. : one who resembles an actor and who performs in his stead typically when the script requires special talent that the actor does not possess
c. : one (as an actor or singer) prepared to substitute for another in his absence : understudy
3. : a twofold or repeated action: as
a.
(1) : a sharp turn or reversal (as in running)
(2) : an evasive shift (as in argument)
b.
(1) : a 16th century court-dance step consisting of three steps and a close
(2) : a folk-dance sequence of four running steps forward or backward
c.
(1) : a musical variation (as in a classical suite)
(2) : a repeated version of a movement of a musical composition (as a suite) with variation
d. doubles plural : the changes rung or capable of being rung on a set of five bells
e. : a twofold victory or defeat (as in two races on the same day or in a match and a return match)
4. : something consisting of two paired members: as
a. : something doubled over or together : fold
hit the horse with the double of his rope
b. printing
(1) : doublet
(2) : a sheet inadvertently printed twice on one side
c. : double star
d. : a letter occurring twice in succession in a word or in adjoining words of connected text
e. : a two-horse parlay
f. : double jump 1
g. : a double-barreled shotgun
h. : a domino with the same number of pips on each half
i. : two consecutive strikes in bowling
j. : two targets thrown simultaneously in skeet shooting
k. : a cricketer's feat of scoring 1000 runs and taking 100 wickets in one season
l. doubles plural : two fishing hooks fastened together at the shank so as to form a double hook
5.
a.
(1) : an act of doubling in card games
(2) : the announcement by which a player in such games signifies that he doubles
b.
(1) : a call in bridge that has the effect of increasing the points scored for odd tricks if the declarer fulfills his contract and for undertricks if he does not
(2) : a hand strong enough to justify making such a call
c. : an act of doubling the stakes in backgammon
III. verb
( doubled ; doubled ; doubling -b(ə)liŋ ; doubles )
Etymology: Middle English doublen, from Old French dobler, doubler, from Latin duplare, from duplus double — more at double I
transitive verb
1. : to increase by adding an equal quantity : multiply by two : make twice as great or as many
his brother was doubling in this new will his posthumous provision for her — F.M.Ford
as
a. : to be twice as great or as many as : amount to twice the number of
births doubled deaths in the state last year
b.
(1) : to line or cover (a wooden ship) with an additional layer of planking
(2) : to line or trim (a garment) with additional material — now used chiefly in heraldry
c.
(1) : to combine (as two slivers of yarn) by compressing or twisting into a single unit
(2) chiefly Britain : ply
double yarns
d.
(1) : to add a note an octave above or below to (a specified note)
(2) : to reinforce (a musical part) with an additional part having the same notes either at the same pitch or at the octave
e.
(1) : to make a call in bridge that increases the value of odd tricks or undertricks at (an opponent's bid)
(2) Britain : raise
he doubled my poker bet
f.
(1) : to advance (a base runner in baseball) by a two-base hit
the batter walked and was doubled to third base
(2) : to bring about the scoring of (a run in baseball) by a two-base hit
doubled in two runs in the third inning
g. : to put out (a base runner in baseball) in completing a double play
was doubled off second base when the batter lined to the shortstop
forced the runner at second and was doubled at first base
— sometimes used with up
was doubled up at first
2.
a. : to make of two thicknesses by turning or bending usually in the middle : fold
b. : to close tightly (the hand or fist) : clench
he turned swiftly, doubling his fists — Hamilton Basso
— often used with up
c. : to cause to stoop : bend
hit him in the stomach and doubled him over
— often used with up
doubled him up
3.
a. : to avoid by doubling : elude
b. of a ship : to sail around (as a cape) by reversing the direction of motion
had doubled so many capes and run before the wind and brought back news of faraway men — Van Wyck Brooks
c. Britain : to cause (a billiard ball) to rebound
4.
[translation of French doubler ]
a. : to replace in a dramatic role
he was doubling the hero in a sword fight — Niven Busch
b. : to play (dramatic roles) by doubling
doubles the part of leader or squire with that of clown or entertainer — Douglas Kennedy
c. : to prepare (a talking part in a motion picture) for audiences speaking different languages
intransitive verb
1. : to become increased to twice the ordinary size, strength, speed, quantity, or value : increase or grow to twice as much
the population doubled in 10 years
as
a. : to march at double time
b.
(1) : to reread a line inadvertently
lines sufficiently separated to prevent doubling — Stanley Morison
(2) : to set a doublet
c.
(1) : to double a bid (as in bridge)
(2) : to propose that the stake be doubled (as in backgammon)
d. : to make a two-base hit in baseball
doubled off the left-field fence
e. : to fire both rounds in a double-barreled shotgun with a single trigger pull
f. : to use an additional layer of planking on a wooden ship
2.
a. : to turn sharply and suddenly in running ; especially : to turn back on one's course — often used with back
the rabbit doubled back on his tracks
b. : to follow a circuitous course
a road … doubled round the hollow in a long sweep — H.E.Bates
c. : to enclose an enemy's fleet between two fires
d. Britain : rebound — used of a billiard ball
e. archaic : to make evasive shifts : act deceitfully
if thy tongue doubles with me — Sir Walter Scott
3. : to become bent or folded usually in the middle : bend over — often used with up
she doubled up with pain
4.
a. : to serve an additional purpose or perform an additional duty
a big gymnasium that doubles as an auditorium — C.B.Palmer b.1910
court's switchboard operator was doubling as a receptionist — Katherine T. Kinkead
b. : to play an additional instrument — usually used with on
the guitarist doubled on piano
c. : to play two parts especially in a dramatic production
she doubled as the maid in the first act and the secretary in the third
d. : to play a dramatic role as a double
doubled for the hero in the fencing match
•
- double in balk
- double in brass
- double the hill
IV. adverb
Etymology: Middle English, from double, adjective
1.
a. : to twice the extent or amount : doubly
bright eyes were double bright — John Keats
b. : two together : in a pair
some people sleep better double and some single — Morris Fishbein
2. archaic : with duplicity : deceitfully
if you should deal double with her — Shakespeare
3. : downward and forward from the usual position
he was bent double with pain