double (doubles plural & 3rd person present) (doubling present participle) (doubled past tense & past participle )
1 adj You use double to indicate that something includes or is made of two things of the same kind.
ADJ n
...a pair of double doors into the room from the new entrance hall., ...a lone skier gliding along smooth double tracks.
2 adj You use double before a singular noun to refer to two things of the same type that occur together, or that are connected in some way.
ADJ n
...an extremely nasty double murder...
3 predet If something is doublethe amount or size of another thing, it is twice as large.
PREDET the n
(=twice) (Antonym: half)
The offer was to start a new research laboratory at double the salary he was then getting...
Double is also a pronoun., pron
If they think you're a tourist, they charge you double.
4 adj You use double to describe something which is twice the normal size or can hold twice the normal quantity of something.
...a double helping of ice cream., ...a large double garage...
5 adj A double room is a room intended for two people, usually a couple, to stay or live in.
usu ADJ n
...bed and breakfast for £180 for two people in a double room.
Double is also a noun., n-count
The Great Western Hotel costs around £60 a night for a double.
6 adj A double bed is a bed that is wide enough for two people to sleep in.
ADJ n
7 adj You use double to describe a drink that is twice the normal measure.
ADJ n
He was drinking his double whiskey too fast and scowling.
Double is also a noun., n-count
Give me a whisky, a double.
8 adj Double is used when you are spelling a word or telling someone a number to show that a letter or digit is repeated.
ADJ n
Ring four two double two double two if you'd like to speak to our financial adviser.
9 verb When something doubles or when you double it, it becomes twice as great in number, amount, or size.
The number of managers must double to 100 within 3 years... V
The program will double the amount of money available to help pay for child care. V n
10 n-count If you refer to someone as a person's double, you mean that they look exactly like them.
poss N
Your mother sees you as her double.
11 verb If a person or thing doublesas someone or something else, they have a second job or purpose as well as their main one.
Lots of homes in town double as businesses. V as n
Double up means the same as double., phrasal verb
The lids of the casserole dishes are designed to double up as baking dishes. V P as n
12 n-uncount In tennis or badminton, when people play doubles, two teams consisting of two players on each team play against each other on the same court.
13 If you are bent double, the top half of your body is bent downwards so that your head is close to your knees.
bent double phrase v-link PHR
Pickers are bent double, plucking each flower with lightning speed.
14 If you are seeing double, there is something wrong with your eyes, and you can see two images instead of one.
see double phrase V inflects
I was dizzy, seeing double.
15
→
in double figures
→
figure double back phrasal verb If you double back you go back in the direction that you came from.
(=turn back)
We drove past it and had to double back. V P double up
1 phrasal verb If something doubles you up, or if you double up, you bend your body quickly or violently, for example because you are laughing a lot or because you are feeling a lot of pain.
...a savage blow in the crutch which doubled him up... V n P
They laugh so hard they double up with laughter. V P with/in n
Double over means the same as double up., phrasal verb
Everyone was doubled over in laughter. V-ed P
double act (double acts plural ), double-act Two comedians or entertainers who perform together are referred to as a double act. Their performance can also be called a double act. n-count
...a famous comedy double act...
double agent (double agents plural )A double agent is someone who works as a spy for a particular country or organization, but who also works for its enemies. n-count
double-barrelled
in AM, use double-barreled
1 adj A double-barrelled gun has two barrels.
ADJ n
...a double-barrelled shotgun.
2 adj A double-barrelled surname has two parts which are joined by a hyphen, for example `Miss J. Heydon-Smith'.
(BRIT) ADJ n
3 adj Double-barrelled is used to describe something such as a plan which has two main parts. (JOURNALISM) ADJ n
double bass (double basses plural ), double-bass A double bass is the largest instrument in the violin family. n-var oft the N
double bill (double bills plural ), double-bill A double bill is a theatre or cinema performance in which there are two shows on the programme. n-count oft N of n
double bind (double binds plural )If you are in adouble bind, you are in a very difficult situation, because whatever decision you make will have bad results. n-count usu sing
(=catch 22)
Women are caught in a double bind, marginalised in the community if they are not wives and mothers, under excessive pressure to be perfect if they are.
double-blind
A double-blind study or experiment compares two groups of people, one of which is being tested while the other is not. Neither the people doing the testing nor the members of the two groups know which group is being tested. adj
In a double-blind trial, there were definite improvements.
double bluff (double bluffs plural )A double bluff is an attempt to deceive someone by telling them exactly what you intend to do when you know that they will assume you are lying.
(BRIT) n-var
They suspected this was a double bluff on the part of Cairo Intelligence., ...a continual round of bluff and double bluff.
double-breasted
A double-breasted jacket or suit has two very wide sections at the front of the jacket which fit over one another when you button them up. adj usu ADJ n
double-check (double-checks 3rd person present) (double-checking present participle) (double-checked past tense & past participle )If you double-check something, you examine or test it a second time to make sure that it is completely correct or safe. verb
Check and double-check spelling and punctuation... V n
Double-check that the ladder is secure... V that
Don't believe what you are told; double-check with an independent source. V with n
double chin (double chins plural )If someone has a double chin, they have a fold of fat under their chin, making them look as if they have two chins. n-count usu sing
double cream
Double cream is very thick cream.
(BRIT) n-uncount
in AM, use heavy cream
double-cross (double-crosses plural & 3rd person present) (double-crossing present participle) (double-crossed past tense & past participle )If someone you trust double-crosses you, they do something which harms you instead of doing something they had promised to do.
INFORMAL verb
(=betray)
Don't try and double-cross me, Taylor, because I'll kill you... V n
double-dealing
Double-dealing is behaviour which is deliberately deceitful. n-uncount
(=betrayal, duplicity)
Marriages were broken and lives ruined by the revelation of double-dealing.
double-decker (double-deckers plural )
1 n-count A double-decker or a double-decker bus is a bus that has two levels, so that passengers can sit upstairs or downstairs.
(mainly BRIT, Antonym: single-decker)
2 adj Double-decker items or structures have two layers or levels instead of one.
ADJ n
...a double-decker sandwich.
double-digit
A double-digit number is between 10 and 99. adj ADJ n
Australia had 15 years of double-digit inflation.
double-edged
1 adj If you say that a comment is double-edged, you mean that it has two meanings, so that you are not sure whether the person who said it is being critical or is giving praise.
Even his praise is double-edged.
2 adj If you say that something is double-edged, you mean that its positive effects are balanced by its negative effects, or that its negative effects are greater.
usu v-link ADJ
But tourism is double-edged, boosting the economy but damaging the environment...
→
a double-edged sword
→
sword
double entendre (double entendres plural )A double entendre is a word or phrase that has two meanings, one of which is rude and often sexual. n-var
He is a master of the pun and the double entendre...
double fault (double faults plural )In tennis, if a player serves a double fault, they make a mistake with both serves and lose the point. n-count
double-glaze (double-glazes 3rd person present) (double-glazing present participle) (double-glazed past tense & past participle )If someone double-glazes a house or its windows, they fit windows that have two layers of glass which keeps the inside of the house warmer and quieter.
(mainly BRIT) verb
The company is now offering to double-glaze the windows for £3,900... V n
We recently had our house double-glazed. have n V-ed
double-glazed adj
...double-glazed windows..
double glazing , double-glazing
If someone has double glazing in their house, their windows are fitted with two layers of glass. People put in double glazing in order to keep buildings warmer or to keep out noise.
(mainly BRIT) n-uncount
double-header (double-headers plural )
in AM, also use doubleheader A double-header is a sporting contest between two teams that involves two separate games being played, often on the same day.
(mainly AM) n-count
double life (double lives plural )If you say that someone is living adouble life, you mean that they lead two separate and very different lives, and they appear to be a different person in each. n-count usu sing
She threatened to publicly expose his double life if he left her.
double-park (double-parks 3rd person present) (double-parking present participle) (double-parked past tense & past participle )If someone double-parks their car or their car double-parks, they park in a road by the side of another parked car. verb
Murray double-parked his car... V n
The car pulled in and double-parked in front of the town hall. V
double-quick
If you say that you will do something double-quick, you are emphasizing that you will do it very quickly.
INFORMAL adv ADV after v (emphasis)
Don't worry. We'll have you out of here double-quick. In double-quick time means the same as double-quick.
in double-quick time phrase PHR after v
I was over the fence in double-quick time.
double standard (double standards plural )If you accuse a person or institution of applying double standards in their treatment of different groups of people, you mean that they unfairly allow more freedom of behaviour to one group than to another. n-count
(disapproval)
Mrs Starky accused the local police of operating double standards...
double-take (double-takes plural )If you do a double-take when you see or hear something strange or surprising, you hesitate for a moment before reacting to it because you wonder if you really saw or heard it. n-count
I did a double-take when I saw her dressed in biker's gear.
double-talk , double talk
If you refer to something someone says as double-talk, you mean that it can deceive people or is difficult to understand because it has two possible meanings. n-uncount
double vision
If someone is suffering from double vision, they see a single object as two objects, for example because they are ill or have drunk too much alcohol. n-uncount
