double take
noun
a rapid or surprised second look, either literal or figurative, at a person or situation whose significance had not been completely grasped at first: His friends did a double take when they saw how much weight he had lost.
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RELATED WORDS
Nearby words
double star, double steal, double stop, double sugar, double tackle, double take, double take, do a, double talk, double tap, double tape, double tide
Origin of double take
An Americanism dating back to 1935–40
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
British Dictionary definitions for double take
double take
noun
(esp in comedy) a delayed reaction by a person to a remark, situation, etc
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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