double-cross

[duhb-uh l-kraws, -kros]

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verb (used with object) Informal.

to prove treacherous to; betray or swindle, as by a double cross.

Origin of double-cross

First recorded in 1900–05

Related formsdou·ble-cross·er, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for double-crosser

deceiver, turncoat, fink, rat, traitor, apostate, snitch, recreant, Judas

Examples from the Web for double-crosser

Historical Examples of double-crosser

A local lieutenant told the negro that the big boss police official was known in the department as a double-crosser.
The Vice Bondage of a Great City or the Wickedest City in the World
Robert O. Harland

British Dictionary definitions for double-crosser

double-cross

verb

(tr) to cheat or betray

noun

the act or an instance of double-crossing; betrayal

Derived Formsdouble-crosser, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for double-crosser

double-cross

1834, from double (adj.) + cross (n.) in the sense of "pre-arranged swindle or fix." Originally to win a race after promising to lose it. As a verb from 1903, American English. Related: Double-crossed; double-crossing.