SINCE 1828

An Encyclopædia Britannica Company

double Dutch

noun

Definition of double Dutch

1 :unintelligible language

2 :the jumping of two jump ropes rotating in opposite directions simultaneously

See double Dutch defined for English-language learners

Examples of double dutch in a Sentence

The girls were playing double Dutch on the sidewalk.
the fast-talking con man spouts some double Dutch, and it is only afterwards that the victim realizes that he's given two twenties for a ten

First Known Use of double dutch

1876

double dutch Synonyms

Synonyms

abracadabra, babble, blabber, burble, gibberish, double-talk, drivel, gabble, gibber, jabber, jabberwocky, mumbo jumbo, nonsense, prattle, slobber

Related Words

blah (also blah-blah), hocus-pocus, hokeypokey, twaddle; chatter, gab, patter, prate, tattle, twitter; cackle, clack, clatter

DOUBLE DUTCH Defined for English Language Learners

double Dutch

noun

Definition of double Dutch for English Language Learners

: the activity of jumping over two jump ropes that two people are swinging in circles in opposite directions
: language that cannot be understood

Learn More about double dutch

See words that rhyme with double Dutch Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for double Dutch Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about double Dutch

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Examples: double Dutch in a Sentence