Double

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dou·ble / ˈdəbəl/ • adj. 1. consisting of two equal, identical, or similar parts or things: the double doors. ∎  having twice the usual size, quantity, or strength: she sipped a double brandy. ∎  designed to be used by two people: a double bed. ∎  having two different roles or interpretations, esp. in order to deceive or confuse: the furtive double life of a terrorist. 2. having some essential part or feature twice, in particular: ∎  (of a flower variety) having more than one circle of petals: large double blooms. ∎  (of a domino) having the same number of dots on each half. ∎  used to indicate that a letter or number occurs twice in succession: “otter” is spelled with a double t. 3. Mus. lower in pitch by an octave. • twice as much or as many: the jail now houses almost double the number of prisoners it was designed for I'll pay double what I paid last time. • adv. at or to twice the amount or extent: you have to be careful, and this counts double for older people. ∎  as two instead of the more usual one: she thought she was seeing double. • n. 1. a thing that is twice as large as usual or is made up of two standard units or things: join the two sleeping bags together to make a double. ∎  a double measure of liquor. ∎  a thing designed to be used by two people, esp. a bed or a hotel room: we'll use the bunk beds, you take the double | our rates are $200 per night for a double. ∎ Baseball a hit that allows the batter to reach second base safely: Sabo came home on a double by O'Neill. ∎  a system of betting in which the winnings and stake from the first bet are transferred to a second. ∎  Bridge a call that will increase the points won if the declarer is successful, or increase the penalty points won by the defenders if the declarer fails to make the contract. ∎  Darts a hit on the narrow ring enclosed by the two outer circles of a dartboard, scoring double. 2. a person who looks exactly like another: you could pass yourself off as his double. ∎  a person who stands in for an actor in a film. ∎  an apparition of a living person: she had seen her husband's double. 3. (doubles) (esp. in tennis and badminton) a game or competition involving sides made up of two players: the semifinals of the doubles. • pron. a number or amount that is twice as large as a contrasting or usual number or amount: he paid double and had a room all to himself. • v. 1. [intr.] become twice as much or as many: profits doubled in one year. ∎  [tr.] make twice as much or as many of (something): Clare doubled her income overnight. ∎  [tr.] archaic amount to twice as much as: thy fifty yet doth double five and twenty. ∎  (double up) use the winnings from a bet as stake for another bet. ∎  (of a member of the armed forces) move at twice the usual speed; run: I doubled across the deck to join the others. ∎  (double up) share a room: “Where's Jimmy going to sleep?” “He can double up with Bert.” ∎ Baseball (of a batter) get a two-base hit: Strawberry doubled with two outs. ∎  Bridge make a call increasing the value of the penalty points to be scored on an opponent's bid if it wins the auction and is not fulfilled. ∎ inf. go out on a double date: they doubled with his sister and her oafish boyfriend. 2. [tr.] fold or bend (paper, cloth, or other material) over on itself: the muslin is doubled and then laid in a sieve over the bowl. ∎  [intr.] (double up) bend over or curl up, typically because one is overcome with pain or mirth: Billy started to double up with laughter. ∎  clench (a fist): he had one arm around her and the other fist doubled. ∎  [intr.] (usu. double back) go back in the direction one has come: he had to double back to pick them up. ∎  Naut. sail around (a headland): we struck out seaward to double the headland of the cape. 3. [intr.] (of a person or thing) be used in or play another, different role: a laser printer doubles as a photocopier. ∎  [tr.] (of an actor) play (two parts) in the same piece. ∎  Mus. play two or more musical instruments. ∎  [tr.] Mus. add the same note in a higher or lower octave to (a note). PHRASES: on the double at running speed; very fast: he disappeared on the double. ∎  without hesitation; immediately he summoned his officers on the double. double or nothing a gamble to decide whether a loss or debt should be doubled or canceled.DERIVATIVES: dou·bler n. dou·bly adv.

double at the double at running speed; very fast.
double Dutch language that is impossible to understand, gibberish. The term is recorded from the late 19th century, although high Dutch, in the same sense, is earlier.
double helix a pair of parallel helices intertwined about a common axis, especially that in the structure of the DNA molecule; the structure was originally proposed by Francis Crick (1916–2004) and James D. Watson (1928– ), broadly explaining how genetic information is carried in living organisms and how genes replicate.
double or quits (in the US, double or nothing) a gamble to decide whether a loss or debt should be doubled or cancelled.
doublethink the acceptance of or mental capacity to accept contrary opinions or beliefs at the same time, especially as a result of political indoctrination, coined by George Orwell in his novel Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949).
double whammy a twofold blow or setback; a figurative use of ‘two blows resulting in a knockout’. The original (US) sense of whammy was ‘an evil influence’, and in the 1950s was particularly associated with the comic strip L'il Abner; a double whammy in this context was an intense and powerful look which had a stunning effect on its victims.

Double whammy in its current sense entered the language through modern politics, being given a high profile by Conservative campaigning in the British general election of 1992, with campaign posters on tax policy using the slogan, ‘Labour's double whammy’.

double.
1. (Fr.). A variation, especially one with elaborate ornamentation. Similar to Eng. ‘division’.

2. Indicates a lower octave, e.g. double bassoon plays an octave below bassoon.

3. Singers who perform two roles in one work and instrumentalists who play more than one instr. in a comp. e.g. fl. doubles piccolo.

double v. Nautical sail around (a headland): we struck out seaward to double the headland of the cape.
on the double
1. at running speed; very fast: he disappeared on the double.

2. without hesitation; immediately he summoned his officers on the double.

double consisting of two, twofold XIII; twice as many XIV. — OF. doble, duble, later and mod. double :- L. duplus DUPLE.
So double vb. XIII.

double. Mirror-image of a motif (e.g. double cone), or twofold, forming a pair.

doublé (Fr.). The gruppetto (ornament).

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