double

dou·ble | \ ˈdə-bəl

How to pronounce double (audio)

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Definition of double

(Entry 1 of 4)

1 : having a twofold relation or character : dual

2 : consisting of two usually combined members or parts an egg with a double yolk

3a : being twice as great or as many double the number of expected applicants

b of a coin : worth two of the specified amount a double eagle a double crown

4 : marked by duplicity : deceitful

5 : folded in two

6 : of extra size, strength, or value a double martini

7 : having more than the normal number of floral leaves often at the expense of the sporophylls

8 of rhyme : involving correspondence of two syllables (as in exciting and inviting)

9 : designed for the use of two persons a double room a double bed

double

doubled; doubling\ ˈdə-b(ə-)liŋ

How to pronounce double (audio)

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Definition of double (Entry 2 of 4)

transitive verb

1 : to make twice as great or as many: such as

a : to increase by adding an equal amount

b : to amount to twice the number of

c : to make a call in bridge that increases the value of odd tricks or undertricks at (an opponent's bid)

2a : to bend or fold (something, such as a sheet of paper) usually in the middle so that one part lies directly against the other part

b : clench doubled his fist

c : to cause to stoop

3 : to avoid by doubling : elude

4a : to replace in a dramatic role

b : to play (dramatic roles) by doubling

5a(1) : to advance or score (a base runner) by a double

(2) : to bring about the scoring of (a run) by a double

b : to put out (a base runner) in completing a double play

6 : double-team Jackson's absence was supposed to allow defenses to double Gates.— Jim Trotter

intransitive verb

1a : to become twice as much or as many

b : to double a bid (as in bridge)

2a : to turn sharply and suddenly especially : to turn back on one's course the rabbit doubled back on its tracks

b : to follow a circuitous course

3 : to become bent or folded usually in the middle —usually used with upshe doubled up in pain

4a : to serve an additional purpose or perform an additional duty

b : to play a dramatic role as a double

5 : to make a double in baseball

double

Definition of double (Entry 3 of 4)

1 : to twice the extent or amount

2 : two together the children had to sleep double

3 : downward and forward from the usual position he was bent double with pain

double

Definition of double (Entry 4 of 4)

1 : something twice the usual size, strength, speed, quantity, or value: such as

a : a double amount

b : a base hit that enables the batter to reach second base

2 : one that is the counterpart of another : duplicate: such as

a : a living person that closely resembles another living person

c(1) : understudy

(2) : one who resembles an actor and takes his or her place especially in scenes calling for special skills

(3) : an actor who plays more than one role in a production

3a : a sharp turn (as in running) : reversal

b : an evasive shift

4 : something consisting of two paired members: such as

a : fold

b : a combined bet placed on two different contests

c : two consecutive strikes in bowling

5 doubles plural : a game between two pairs of players

6 : an act of doubling in a card game

7 : a room (as in a hotel) for two guests — compare single sense 4

on the double

: very quickly : right away

Other Words from double Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about double

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Examples of double in a Sentence

Adjective One of the eggs had a double yolk. The truck crossed the double yellow line and entered the other lane. My name is “Allison,” with a double “l.” Go through those double doors and walk to the end of the hall. I'll have a double espresso, please. a double dose of medicine a double order of fries Verb We all doubled over laughing. He doubled up in pain. Adverb raced to his side double quick Noun I'll have one more glass of vodka. Make it a double, please. People often tell me that I'm his double. The actress's double did all of the dangerous scenes. Can you tell if it's the actor or his double in that shot? He hit a double in the eighth inning.

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective Nelson is a three-time All-Pro, Leonard a double selection, while Buckner and Odum made it for the first time. — Barry Wilner, ajc, "Donald, Kelce unanimous AP All-Pros; Rodgers, Henry chosen," 8 Jan. 2021 Without him, the Tide scored by committee, going 26 minutes before Jaden Shackelford became the team’s first double-figure scorer. — Michael Casagrande | Mcasagrande@al.com, al, "Alabama routs Florida on historic night in Tuscaloosa," 6 Jan. 2021 In Congress, even with what now looks like double Democratic wins in Georgia’s Senate runoffs, West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin’s outsized swing vote could be treated as an excuse for moderation. — Kate Aronoff, The New Republic, "“Bipartisanship” Is Climate Poison," 6 Jan. 2021 Among the mix of historical revivals (Romanesque, Greek, Gothic), there’s a single rowhouse that’s bright white with severe lines and a double-height swath of glass brick across the upper façade. — Christopher Bonanos, Curbed, "Why Hasn’t Anyone Bought This William Lescaze House?," 5 Jan. 2021 Doncic's triple-double was the 26th of his short career. — Ben Morse, CNN, "Luka Doncic creates another piece of history as he outbattles James Harden," 5 Jan. 2021 McCary captioned the photo of the beaming couple with a simple double heart emoji. — Charles Trepany, USA TODAY, "Emma Stone expecting first child with comedian Dave McCary: Reports," 5 Jan. 2021 Behind steel double doors, Cossack House is home to a free gym for potential recruits, as well as offices, lecture halls, and a film club. — Aris Roussinos, Harpers Magazine, "The Armies of the Right," 5 Jan. 2021 Marquise Miller sources crisp double-breasted suiting, retro designer staples, T-shirts, and artisanal objects from around the world to maintain his thoughtful curation of streamlined treasures in his showroom. — Barry Samaha, Harper's BAZAAR, "The Best Online Consignment Sites to Score Vintage Fashion," 5 Jan. 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb The green light should nearly double this month’s expected U.S. supply of Covid-19 vaccine doses and help meet a federal goal of getting a vaccine to anyone who wants one by the spring or summer of 2021. — Peter Loftus, WSJ, "Moderna’s Covid-19 Vaccine Could Widen Immunization Effort," 18 Dec. 2020 But a 13-2 run to end the first half allowed Oregon to nearly double Oregon State’s point total by halftime. — oregonlive, "No. 8 Oregon dominates from the outset, routs No. 15 Oregon State 79-59," 14 Dec. 2020 Genentech, working on 10 potential COVID-19 treatments, plans to nearly double the size of its headquarters in South San Francisco, and has around 700 open positions. — Chronicle Staff, SFChronicle.com, "Coronavirus news from the Bay Area: Nov. 27-Dec. 3," 4 Dec. 2020 Caldwell plans to nearly double his staff of 20 over the next year to keep pace with revenue that has climbed 45% this year. — Paul Davidson, USA TODAY, "As COVID-19 persists, more Americans are unemployed more than six months. Is that a stigma even in a pandemic?," 4 Dec. 2020 That means cases -- already at record highs in some areas -- would nearly double by then. — Aj Willingham, CNN, "5 things to know for November 24: Biden, coronavirus, Nigeria, China, emissions," 24 Nov. 2020 For comparison’s sake, Smith is on pace for 58 pressures (one more than Quinn finished with) and is significantly more impactful against the run than Quinn, as the 38 stops Smith’s on pace for would nearly double Quinn’s 18 from a year ago. — John Owning, Dallas News, "Two deals that make sense for the Dallas Cowboys at the NFL trade deadline," 2 Nov. 2020 The next best alternative, said Justin Curtis, an attorney with AquaLaw representing the water authority, would nearly double the costs for two rural counties with limited revenues. — Andrew Lawler, National Geographic, "Native American capital among 11 most endangered historic sites," 24 Sep. 2020 Its average now stands at 40 cases per day, 7th highest in the state, and nearly double its average from a week ago. — Ramsey Archibald | Rarchibald@al.com, al, "Heating up or cooling off? Coronavirus trajectory for each Alabama county: Week in review," 12 Sep. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Adverb While 2019 saw cases of propaganda circulated on college campuses nearly double, encompassing 433 separate campuses in all but seven states, researchers who compiled the data found that 90% of campuses only saw one or two rounds of distribution. — Elana Schor, The Denver Post, "White supremacist propaganda spreading, Anti-Defamation League says," 12 Feb. 2020 The scheme recommends double-counting the votes of black Americans. — Horace Cooper, National Review, "An Absurd Call for ‘Vote Reparations’," 23 Dec. 2020 Through Instagram, Slim’s photos are distributed, circulated, and double-tapped by users all over the world. — Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, "‘She Was Freezing and Mad’: The Story Behind This Famous Slim Aarons Christmas Photo," 23 Dec. 2020 The Uoma Beauty Double Take is a double-ended contour and highlight stick that adds definition and a healthy sheen to the cheeks. — Gabrielle Pharms, USA TODAY, "10 amazing beauty gifts from BIPOC-owned brands," 19 Dec. 2020 Potatoes, onions, turnips, apples, or medium-sized heads of cabbage—any vegetables, in fact—double-wrapped in regular-weight foil, can be safely cooked in about an hour. — Ted Trueblood, Field & Stream, "FS Classics: Advice to Cooks," 19 Dec. 2020 All are double-fermented to unlock their fullest potential of benefits, Sparacio says. — Devon Abelman, Allure, "Tatcha Is Adding a New Dewy Serum to Lineup and I Tested It on My Dry, Winter Skin," 18 Dec. 2020 The state originally adopted that methodology to ensure people who tested positive weren’t double counted if they were retested and viral remnants of the same infections were still detected. — oregonlive, "Oregon’s image problem: COVID-19 testing numbers looked terrible, so officials changed the stats they reported," 12 Dec. 2020 Brown will roughly triple, and Harvard will about double, the number of students in campus housing in the new year. — New York Times, "bring back more students in the spring," 8 Dec. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Robert ended August on a positive note, knocking in the go-ahead run with a double in the ninth inning of an eventual 8-5 victory against the Minnesota Twins on Aug. 31 at Target Field in Minneapolis. — Lamond Pope, chicagotribune.com, "Chicago White Sox center fielder Luis Robert is a finalist for AL Rookie of the Year. Here are 4 stats that stand out from his standout 2020 season.," 7 Nov. 2020 Mookie Betts greeted reliever Nick Anderson with a double. — Evan Grant, Dallas News, "Dodgers win Game 6 after Kevin Cash’s questionable decision to pull Blake Snell during dominant outing," 28 Oct. 2020 Betts greeted Anderson with a double into left field, putting runners on second and third. — Bob Nightengale, USA TODAY, "Dodgers defeat Rays in Game 6 to win first World Series title since 1988," 28 Oct. 2020 Willy Adames then drove in Margot with another double. — Creg Stephenson | Cstephenson@al.com, al, "World Series 2020 live stream (10/24): How to watch Dodgers-Rays Game 4 online, TV, time," 24 Oct. 2020 Jose Altuve drove in Springer with a double off the left-field wall. — Matt Young, Houston Chronicle, "Gameday Live: Astros vs. Rays - Game 6," 16 Oct. 2020 After Shaw intentionally walked Anthony Rizzo, Ben Zobrist hit a double to left, scoring Almora to give the Cubs a 7-6 lead. — Chris Boghossian, chicagotribune.com, "Kyle Schwarber’s 10 greatest hits with the Chicago Cubs, including his ‘Schwarbomb’ in the 2015 NLDS and the single that led to the go-ahead run in the 2016 World Series," 6 Dec. 2020 Betts hit a double off Anderson, who then threw a wild pitch, allowing Barnes to score as Betts went to third. — David Waldstein, New York Times, "Dodgers Win the World Series After Years of Frustration," 27 Oct. 2020 Willy Adames then drove in Margot with another double. — Creg Stephenson | Cstephenson@al.com, al, "World Series 2020 live stream (10/24): How to watch Dodgers-Rays Game 4 online, TV, time," 24 Oct. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'double.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

14 Jan 2021

Cite this Entry

“Double.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/double. Accessed 17 Jan. 2021.

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More Definitions for double

double

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of double

(Entry 1 of 4)

: made of two parts that are similar or exactly the same

: having two very different parts or qualities

: of a size that is twice as big as usual : of an amount that is twice as much as usual

double

verb

English Language Learners Definition of double (Entry 2 of 4)

: to cause (something) to become two times as great or as many

: to become two times as great or as many

: to have a second job or use

double

adverb

English Language Learners Definition of double (Entry 3 of 4)

: two times as many or as much

: two times

double

noun

English Language Learners Definition of double (Entry 4 of 4)

: something that is two times the usual size, strength, or amount

: someone who looks very much like another person

: a person who looks like an actor and takes the actor's place in some scenes in a movie or TV show

See the full definition for double in the English Language Learners Dictionary

double

dou·ble | \ ˈdə-bəl

\

Kids Definition of double

(Entry 1 of 4)

1 : being twice as great or as many I made a double batch of cookies.

2 : made up of two parts or members This egg has a double yolk.

3 : having two very different aspects She serves a double role as teacher and friend.

4 : made for two a double bed

5 : extra large in size or amount double roses

double

doubled; doubling

Kids Definition of double (Entry 2 of 4)

1 : to make or become twice as great or as many : multiply by two You'll need to double the recipe.

2 : to fold usually in the middle Double your paper.

3 : to bend over at the waist He doubled over in laughter.

4 : clench sense 2 I doubled my fist.

5 : to turn sharply and go back over the same path The squirrel doubled back instead of crossing the street.

6 : to have another use or job The table doubled as his desk.

double

Kids Definition of double (Entry 3 of 4)

1 : two times the amount The last test question counts double.

2 : two together You'll have to sleep double.

double

Kids Definition of double (Entry 4 of 4)

1 : something that is twice the usual size or amount The waiter charged me double.

2 : a hit in baseball that allows the batter to reach second base

3 : someone or something that is very like another You're a double for your sister.

on the double

: very quickly

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