# double

Pronunciation: say "DUB-uhl" /ˈdʌb(ə)l/

## Adjective

1. Equal to twice the usual amount, number, or quantity of something.
   - Simple: Being two times as much in amount or number.
   - _The new contract offered double pay for weekend shifts._
   - _They booked a room at double the standard nightly rate._
2. Consisting of two matching or similar parts or layers joined together, or folded so as to form two layers.
   - Simple: Having two parts or layers that go together, or folded in two.
   - _A double helix is formed from two intertwined strands._
   - _The cabinet had double doors that swung outward._
4. Made or sized for use by two people, cars, or similar.
   - Simple: Made to be used by two people or things.
   - _We reserved a double room with a view of the sea._
   - _The new property included a double garage for two cars._
9. Having two aspects or interpretations; able to be understood in more than one way.
   - Simple: Having two possible meanings, so it can be understood in more than one way.
   - _The poem's last line carries a double meaning, pointing both to the end of winter and to the end of a marriage._
   - _Critics noted the play's double quality, comic on the surface and tragic underneath._
22. False, deceitful, or hypocritical in speech or behavior.
   - Simple: Not honest, saying or acting one way but meaning another.
   - _After the spy's double game came to light, neither side would ever trust him again._
   - _The mayor in the novel plays a double game, praising the workers in public while secretly helping the factory owners._
23. Stooping, with the upper body bent forward and over.
   - Simple: Bent over, with the top half of the body leaning far forward.
   - _The pickers worked bent double along the rows of strawberries all afternoon._
   - _Stomach cramps left her bent double on the bathroom floor._
27. With more petals than are usual for a flower of its kind.
   - Simple: Of a flower, having more petals than usual.
   - _Breeders developed a double camellia prized for its dense, layered petals._
   - _The double peonies opened into full, ruffled blossoms._

## Verb

3. To make something twice as large, numerous, or strong, or to become twice as large; to increase by one hundred percent.
   - Simple: To make something twice as big or strong, or to grow to twice the size.
   - _Managers decided to double the budget for research this quarter._
   - _She doubled her savings within two years of opening the account._
6. To serve a second role or fulfill an additional purpose.
   - Simple: To also be used for a second job or purpose.
   - _The kitchen island doubles as a dining table for the family._
   - _Many small shops double as community gathering spots._
18. To act as a substitute for another performer in a particular role.
   - Simple: To take over another performer's part in a play or show.
   - _Because the lead actress could not ride a horse, a trained rider doubled for her in the long shots._
   - _During filming, a stunt performer who looked like the star would double for him in every fall and fight scene._
20. To fold or bend something over on itself so that it forms two layers.
   - Simple: To fold something over to make two layers.
   - _Double the thin cloth over before you grab the hot pan, so you don't burn your hands._
   - _He doubled the blanket to make a thicker pad for the floor._
21. To turn sharply and follow a winding or backtracking course.
   - Simple: To turn back sharply, often the way you came.
   - _Realizing she had left her phone at the café, she doubled back through the crowded market._
   - _The trail doubles back on itself several times as it climbs the steep hill._
26. To join or couple two things together.
   - Simple: To join two things together so they work as one.
   - _In spinning, two single yarns are often doubled together to make a stronger, smoother thread._
   - _For a chunkier scarf, double two strands of yarn together and knit them as one._
28. To close the hand tightly into a fist.
   - Simple: To close your hand tightly into a fist.
   - _When the older boys started pushing his little brother, Sam doubled his fists and walked straight over to them._
   - _Red with anger, the old farmer started to double his fists as he stepped toward the gate._
12. In baseball, to make a hit on which the batter safely reaches second base.
   - Simple: In baseball, to hit the ball and get safely to second base on that hit.
   - _The catcher doubled off the left-field wall, driving in the tying run._
   - _Managers prize hitters who can double to the opposite field._

## Adverb

5. To two times the amount or degree; twice over.
   - Simple: In a way that is two times as much.
   - _He paid double to get the tickets delivered overnight._
   - _Tickets bought at the door cost double, so we ordered ours online a week early._
24. Into two halves or parts, as by folding or bending.
   - Simple: Into two halves, by folding or bending.
   - _Fold the sheet double and lay it across the bed._
   - _The strong wind bent the young tree nearly double._
25. In twos; as a pair, or two at once.
   - Simple: Two at a time, or two people together.
   - _There was only one horse left, so the two sisters rode double across the field to the farmhouse._
   - _The scouts paddled double in each canoe._

## Noun

7. A hit in baseball that lets the batter reach second base safely on the same play.
   - Simple: A baseball hit that gets the batter safely to second base.
   - _The slugger lined a double off the outfield wall._
   - _Back-to-back doubles tied the game in the seventh inning._
8. A number or amount equal to twice another quantity.
   - Simple: An amount that is two times as much as another.
   - _Twenty is the double of ten._
   - _He earned five hundred dollars last month and hopes to make double that in December._
10. A person who closely resembles another, especially one who stands in for them, as in a film or for security.
   - Simple: A person who looks very much like someone else, and sometimes takes their place.
   - _The famous actor relied on a double for every stunt._
   - _Rumors spread that the dictator used a double at public appearances._
17. An alcoholic drink served with two measures of liquor.
   - Simple: A drink that has two measures of alcohol in it.
   - _The bartender poured him a double and slid it across the counter._
   - _After the long meeting, she ordered a double on the rocks._
11. In soccer, the achievement of winning both a league title and a major cup competition in a single season.
   - Simple: In soccer, the winning of both a league and a cup by one team in the same season.
   - _The squad clinched the double with a win in the cup final._
   - _Only a handful of clubs have ever completed the double in the modern era._
19. An extra item identical to one you already own.
   - Simple: An extra copy of something you already have.
   - _Collectors often swap their doubles to complete a full set._
   - _She found a double of the rare stamp tucked inside her album._
13. In darts, the thin ring that circles the board farthest from its center.
   - Simple: In darts, the thin ring that goes all the way around the outer edge of the board.
   - _Needing the double to win the leg, she placed her last dart just inside the wire._
   - _Under the bar's dim lights, the double was only a thin stripe of color at the very edge of the board._
14. In dominoes, a tile whose two halves carry the same number of pips.
   - Simple: In dominoes, a tile with the same number of dots on both of its ends.
   - _Whoever holds the highest double sets it down first to open the game._
   - _Late in the round she was still holding two doubles, and no open end on the table matched either one._
15. Especially in swimming and track, the achievement of winning two separate events at one meet or competition.
   - Simple: In sports, especially swimming and track, winning two events at the same meet.
   - _She completed a rare double at the national championships, taking both the 400 and 800 freestyle._
   - _Few sprinters attempt the 200-400 double, because the heats leave little time to recover._
16. In the form doubles, a match, especially in tennis or badminton, in which each side is made up of two players.
   - Simple: A game, often of tennis or badminton, with two players on each side.
   - _The twins reached the final of the men's doubles at the national championships._
   - _In badminton doubles, partners usually switch between front and back court as the rally changes._

## Other meanings

- (verb) To be twice as large, numerous, or valuable as something else.
- (verb) To reproduce something exactly; to make a faithful copy of it.
- (noun) An abrupt change of direction, typically one that doubles back over the path just taken.
- (noun) In programming, a floating-point number stored with double precision, allowing greater accuracy than a standard float.
- (adjective) Of a relative, connected through both the mother's and the father's family, as when two siblings marry two siblings and their children are double cousins.
- (adjective) Of a musical instrument, pitched one octave below the standard member of its family, as in double bass.
- (adjective) Of a musical tempo, moving at two times the speed.
- (noun) A phantom copy of someone who is still alive, as in the folklore of the doppelgänger.
- (noun) In bridge, a call raising the scores at stake if the most recent bid ends up as the contract.
- (noun) In billiards and pool, a shot that sends the object ball off a cushion and across into a pocket on the far side.
- (noun) A wager on horses in two separate races, where any money won on the first is staked on the second.
- (noun) In darts, a throw that lands in the narrow outer ring and scores twice the number.
- (noun) A rowing boat for two people, each pulling a pair of sculls.
- (noun) In sports, the act of scoring on two occasions in the same match, such as two goals.
- (noun) In cricket, the feat of making a thousand runs and taking a hundred wickets in one season.
- (noun) A small coin once used in France, valued at a sixth of a sou.
- (noun) Guernsey's smallest copper money in former times, with eight to the penny.
- (noun) The practice of a player switching between two instruments to perform one musical part.
- (noun) In the former Roman Catholic calendar, a feast day ranked above simple and semidouble feasts.
- (noun) A rapid military marching pace, the same as double-quick.
- (noun) An extra instrument that a musician can also play well besides the main one.
- (noun) An act of betrayal, cheating someone who trusts you.
- (verb) To act two separate roles, such as two characters in the same play.
- (verb) To go by ship round a cape or promontory and continue along the far side.
- (verb) To have a second voice or instrument play the same musical part, in unison or an octave higher or lower.
- (verb) To be able to play a second instrument as well as one's main one.
- (verb) In bridge, to call so that particular points are worth twice as much should the opponents' latest bid be the final contract.
- (verb) In blackjack, to double one's stake and take exactly one more card.
- (verb) In billiards and pool, to bank the object ball off a cushion so that it drops into a pocket.
- (verb) To march or move at double time, the jogging pace of military drill, or more loosely to go somewhere at a run.
- (verb) To merge ranks or files of soldiers in pairs so that every two make one.
- (verb) To broadcast on the same frequency as another station at the same moment, by accident or on purpose, so the signals clash.
- (verb) To work as a spy for two opposing sides while pretending to serve only one.

## Origin

Latin duplus ("twofold") passed into Old French as doble or double, and Middle English borrowed double from it. Doppio and duple are doublets.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/double (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).