double

American  

[duhb-uhl] / ˈdʌb əl /

adjective

1. twice as large, heavy, strong, etc.; twofold in size, amount, number, extent, etc..

   a double portion; a new house double the size of the old one.

2. composed of two like parts or members; twofold in form; paired.

   double doors; a double sink.

3. of, relating to, or suitable for two persons.

   a double room.

4. twofold in character, meaning, or conduct; dual or ambiguous.

   a double interpretation.

5. deceitful; hypocritical; insincere.

   Assuming the identity of the deceased man, the salesman began leading a double life, keeping it secret from his live-in girlfriend.

6. (of musical instruments) producing a tone an octave lower than the notes indicate.

7. duple, as time or rhythm.

8. folded in two; having one half folded over the other.

9. (of a bed or bedclothes) full-size.

   a double blanket.

10. Botany. (of flowers) having many more than the normal number of petals.

    double petunias; double hollyhocks.

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noun

• doubles
  plural

1. anything that is twofold in size or amount or twice the usual size, quantity, strength, etc.

2. a duplicate or counterpart; something exactly or closely resembling another.

   This dress is the double of that.

   He is the double of his cousin.

3. Also called double room. a type of hotel accommodation with two beds, or sometimes a double bed, for occupancy by two persons.

4. a fold or plait.

5. an alcoholic drink containing twice the usual amount of alcohol.

6. a sudden backward turn or bend, as of a fox on the run in fox hunting; reversal.

7. a trick or artifice, as of argument in a formal debate.

8. a substitute actor or singer ready to take another's place, especially onstage; understudy.

9. Movies, Television.

   1. a substitute who performs feats or actions too hazardous or difficult for a star.

   2. body double.

10. Baseball. two-base hit.

11. Military. double time.

12. (used with a singular verb) doubles, a game or match in which there are two players on each side, as in tennis.

13. (in bridge or other card games)

    1. a challenge by an opponent that the declarer cannot fulfill the designated contract, increasing the points to be won or lost.

    2. a hand that warrants such a challenge.

14. Bridge. a conventional bid informing one's partner that a player's hand is of a certain strength.

15. Bowling. two strikes in succession.

    He needed a double in the tenth frame to win.

16. daily double.

17. any of certain feasts in the Roman Catholic Church, marked by a doubled antiphon and taking precedence over lesser feasts.

18. Music Rare. a variation.

19. a former coin of France, the sixth part of a sol, issued in silver in the 14th century, later made of copper.

verb (used with object)

• doubles,
  present (3rd person singular)
• doubled,
  past participle,  past
• doubling
  present participle

1. to make double or twice as great; to add an equal amount to.

   The baby doubled its weight in a year.

2. to bend or fold with or as with one part over another (often followed by over, up, back, etc.).

   Double the edge over before sewing.

3. to clench.

   He doubled his fists.

4. to be or have twice as much as.

   Income doubled expenditure.

5. Nautical.

   1. to sail around (a projecting area of land).

      to double Cape Horn.

   2. to add a new layer of planking or ceiling to (an old wooden hull).

6. to pair; couple.

   The players were doubled for the tournament.

7. Music. to reduplicate by means of a tone in another part, either at the unison or at an octave above or below.

8. (in bridge and other card games)

   1. to challenge (the bid of an opponent) by making a call that increases the value of tricks to be won or lost.

   2. to challenge the bid of (an opponent).

      He doubled me into game.

9. Baseball.

   1. to cause the advance of (a base runner) by a two-base hit.

      He doubled him to third.

   2. to cause (a run) to be scored by a two-base hit (often followed byin ).

      He doubled in the winning run.

   3. to put out (a base runner) as the second out of a double play (often followed byup ).

verb (used without object)

• doubles,
  present (3rd person singular)
• doubled,
  past participle,  past
• doubling
  present participle

1. to become double.

   My money doubled in three years.

2. to bend or fold (often followed by up orover ).

   to double over with pain.

3. to turn back on a course or reverse direction (often followed byback ).

   He doubled back by another road and surprised us.

4. Military. to march at the double-time pace.

5. to serve in two capacities or in an additional capacity.

   She doubles as producer and director.

6. to act as a double in a play, motion picture, or the like.

7. Music. to play an instrument besides one's regular instrument (usually followed byon ).

   The saxophonist doubles on drums.

8. (in bridge and other card games) to double the bid of an opponent.

9. Baseball. to make a two-base hit.

10. to double-date.

adverb

1. to twice the amount, number, extent, etc.; twofold; doubly.

2. two together.

   There are only a few beds, so some of the children will have to sleep double for the night.

verb phrase

1. double down. see double down.

2. double up

   1. to share quarters planned for only one person or family.

      Because of the room shortage, we had to double up.

   2. to bend over, as from pain.

      He doubled up in agony.

idioms

1. double or nothing, a bet having as its outcome either the doubling of a previous loss or debt or the canceling of that loss or debt. Also double or quits

2. on the double,

   1. without delay; rapidly.

      The fire engines came on the double.

   2. in double time, as marching troops.

3. at the double, on the double.

4. double in brass, to serve in two capacities; be able to do work different from one's own.

   It is a small firm, and everyone doubles in brass when emergencies arise.

double British  

/ ˈdʌbəl /

adjective

1. as much again in size, strength, number, etc

   a double portion

2. composed of two equal or similar parts; in a pair; twofold

   a double egg cup

3. designed for two users

   a double room

4. folded in two; composed of two layers

   double paper

5. stooping; bent over

6. having two aspects or existing in two different ways; ambiguous

   a double meaning

7. false, deceitful, or hypocritical

   a double life

8. (of flowers) having more than the normal number of petals

9. maths

   1. (of a root) being one of two equal roots of a polynomial equation

   2. (of an integral) having an integrand containing two independent variables requiring two integrations, in each of which one variable is kept constant

10. music

    1. (of an instrument) sounding an octave lower than the pitch indicated by the notation

       a double bass

    2. (of time) duple, usually accompanied by the direction alla breve

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adverb

1. twice over; twofold

2. two together; two at a time (esp in the phrase see double )

noun

1. twice the number, amount, size, etc

2. a double measure of spirits, such as whisky or brandy

3. a duplicate or counterpart, esp a person who closely resembles another; understudy

4. a wraith or ghostly apparition that is the exact counterpart of a living person; doppelgänger

5. a sharp turn, esp a return on one's own tracks

6. an evasive shift or artifice; trick

7. an actor who plays two parts in one play

8. bridge a call that increases certain scoring points if the last preceding bid becomes the contract

9. billiards snooker a strike in which the object ball is struck so as to make it rebound against the cushion to an opposite pocket

10. a bet on two horses in different races in which any winnings from the horse in the first race are placed on the horse in the later race

11. (often capital) RC Church one of the higher-ranking feasts on which the antiphons are recited both before and after the psalms

12. music an ornamented variation in 16th and 17th century music

13. Also called: double time. a pace of twice the normal marching speed

14. tennis See double fault

15. 1. the narrow outermost ring on a dartboard

    2. a hit on this ring

16. 1. at twice normal marching speed

    2. quickly or immediately

verb

1. to make or become twice as much

2. to bend or fold (material, a bandage, etc)

3. to clench (a fist)

4. (tr; often foll by together or up) to join or couple

   he doubled up the team

5. (tr) to repeat exactly; copy

6. (intr) to play two parts or serve two roles

7. (intr) to turn sharply; follow a winding course

8. nautical to sail around (a headland or other point)

9. music

   1. to duplicate (a voice or instrumental part) either in unison or at the octave above or below it

   2. to be capable of performing (upon an instrument additional to one's normal one)

      the third trumpeter doubles on cornet

10. bridge to make a call that will double certain scoring points if the preceding bid becomes the contract

11. billiards snooker to cause (a ball) to rebound or (of a ball) to rebound from a cushion across or up or down the table

12. chess

    1. to cause two pawns of the same colour to be on the same file

    2. to place both rooks of the same colour on the same rank or the same file

13. to act as substitute (for an actor or actress)

14. (intr) to go or march at twice the normal speed

double More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing double

• lead a double life
• on the double
• see double

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• doubleness
  noun
• doubler
  noun
• quasi-double
  adjective
• quasi-doubly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• doubles
  plural

Participles

• doubling
  present
• doubled
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• double
  simple
• doubles
  simple
• have doubled
  perfect
• has doubled
  perfect
• am doubling
  progressive
• are doubling
  progressive
• is doubling
  progressive
• have been doubling
  perfect progressive
• has been doubling
  perfect progressive

Past

• doubled
  simple
• had doubled
  perfect
• was doubling
  progressive
• were doubling
  progressive
• had been doubling
  perfect progressive

Future

• will double
  simple
• will have doubled
  perfect
• will be doubling
  progressive
• will have been doubling
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

Origin of double

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English, from Old French, from Latin duplus, equivalent to du(o) two + -plus -fold

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Explanation

Something is double if it has two parts or if there are two versions of it. If you order a double dip ice cream cone, there will be two scoops of ice cream for you to lick. If you fall while you're roller skating and end up with a double arm fracture, it means you broke your arm in two places. A joke with a double meaning has two of them, and if you double your tips at the coffee shop by smiling more at customers, you're making twice as much money. In addition to the adjective and verb versions of double, there's the noun: your double is someone who looks exactly like you.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

double doubles doubled doubling

It turns out that among the 20 best performers through last week, all but three were down this week, and 11 of the stocks were down double digits.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026

The study used a double blind design, meaning neither the participants nor the experimenter knew which substance had been administered during a particular session.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 16, 2026

Among them is the Seine-Saint-Denis area, where the poverty rate is around double the national average.

From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026

So, over the past two years, the KBW Nasdaq Bank index has risen over 17% annually, more than double the smaller-bank regional bank index.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026

It’s four stories of gray stone with a double wooden entryway, the kind of basic place I could afford to live if I weren’t subsidized by my aunt’s largesse.

From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse

It also handles FaceTime video calls, plays music and video and doubles as a digital picture frame when idle.

From Barron's ● Oct. 13, 2026

British pair Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool advanced in the doubles, beating Russia's Andrey Rublev and Karen Khachanov 6-3 6-4.

From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2026

Shinn told O’Shaugnessy that Instinct’s computing demand roughly doubles each week.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 28, 2026

Skubal gave up back-to-back doubles in the fifth.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 20, 2026

At times like these I need an air sickness bag and an oxygen mask and a chair cushion that doubles as a flotation device.

From "Ask the Passengers" by A.S. King

Shares have more than doubled this year, rising 134% despite the recent rough patch.

From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026

Mind you, if Zacharia had arrived on time, she could have doubled her time with us.

From Salon ● Oct. 16, 2026

If anyone doubted the physical commitment of rugby league's greatest stars, they only needed to watch an exhausted Reece Walsh doubled up and vomiting during Thursday's epic World Cup opener between Australia and New Zealand.

From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026

A study examining nearly three decades of medical data found that stroke rates among adults ages 20 to 54 nearly doubled, even as the chances of surviving a stroke improved.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 15, 2026

He held on to his belly while he doubled over with laughter.

From "Root Magic" by Eden Royce

In the eighth, with one out, Will Smith cut out the middle man by doubling into the right-field corner and advancing to third when Milwaukee’s Sal Frelick misplayed the carom off the wall.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026

Charles Schwab reported that its margin loan balances swelled to roughly $188 billion in the third quarter, nearly doubling year over year.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026

Among younger adults, the ischemic stroke rate rose from 23.8 cases per 100,000 person-years in 1993-1994 to 47.3 in 2020, nearly doubling over the study period.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 15, 2026

They then went island hopping eastwards across the Indonesian archipelago before doubling back to Lombok for a second stay.

From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026

He whistled it, loud and shrill, by doubling his tongue behind his front teeth.

From "Cheaper by the Dozen" by Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey

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