double-decker

American  

[duhb-uhl-dek-er] / ˈdʌb əlˈdɛk ər /

noun

1. something with two decks, tiers, or the like, as two beds one above the other, a ship with two decks above the water line, or a bus with two decks.

2. a food item consisting of two main layers, as a sandwich made with three slices of bread and two layers of filling.

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double-decker British  

noun

1. a bus with two passenger decks

2. informal

   1. a thing or structure having two decks, layers, etc

   2. ( as modifier )

      a double-decker sandwich

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Etymology

Origin of double-decker

An Americanism dating back to 1825–35

Example Sentences

Inaugurated in 1863, the tram is one of the world's oldest, and among only a few to operate double-decker cars.

From Barron's • Feb. 25, 2026

Norway and Sweden arrived at races with double-decker wax trucks and fleets of expert technicians.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 19, 2026

The celebratory parade is commenced at 11 a.m., with the Dodgers traveling on top of double-decker buses through downtown with a final stop at Dodger Stadium.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 3, 2025

Both on board the double-decker buses and in the frenzied masses below, elation swirled and beverages flowed.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 3, 2025

This is a picture of a nineteen-note-per-octave keyboard; notice the double-decker nature of the black notes and the extra little black note between the bigger clusters.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall