SINCE 1828
double
adjective
dou·ble
| \ ˈdə-bəl
\
\
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
verb
doubled;
doubling\ ˈdə-b(ə-)liŋ
\
\
Definition of double (Entry 2 of 4)
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
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
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 up she 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
adverbDefinition 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
nounDefinition 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
b
: wraith
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
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Other Words from double
Adjective
doubleness
noun
Verb
doubler
\ ˈdə-b(ə-)lər
\
noun
\
noun
Synonyms & Antonyms for double
Synonyms: Adjective
binary, bipartite, double-barreled, double-edged, dual, duplex, twin, twofold
Synonyms: Verb
Synonyms: Adverb
Synonyms: Noun
alter ego, carbon, carbon copy, clone, counterpart, doppelgänger (or doppelganger), duplicate, duplication, facsimile, fetch, image, likeness, look-alike, match, mirror image, picture, replica, ringer, spit, spitting image, twin
Antonyms: Adjective
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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 friesVerb
We all doubled over laughing. He doubled up in pain.Adverb
raced to his side double quickNoun
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
The Port of Long Beach reported double-digit declines in container imports and exports in February and March, after several months of strong growth, as shippers rushed to move goods ahead of possible new tariffs. — Costas Paris, WSJ, "Macquarie Gets a Foothold in U.S.-Asia Ocean Trade," 5 May 2019 Either Ari is Hannah Montana-ing us all and living a double life as an influencer, or these two ladies are twins. — Kelsey Stiegman, Seventeen, "This Fashion Blogger Looks JUST Like Ariana Grande and People Are Losing It," 21 Feb. 2019 Yes, that’s the double-digit opinion that journalist Yashar Ali espoused—in a tweet that was read far and wide—as his preferred stockpile of washcloths. — Liz Krieger, Town & Country, "You Probably Don’t Own Enough Towels, According to an Expert," 22 Feb. 2019 The 19-year-old slugger has been the buzz of the Grapefruit League, with effortless swings that have gone viral, including a double off the left-field wall on Sunday against the Yankees using just one hand. — Michael Salfino, WSJ, "Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Looks Like a Can’t-Miss Prospect," 4 Mar. 2019 Can a small shelf double the natural light in a room? — Amanda Sims, House Beautiful, "The Trick To Making Your Entryway Feel Bigger," 28 Jan. 2019 Every Pat McGrath Labs release is met with a high-demand and double the amount of anticipation, most products selling out within a day. — Teen Vogue, "Pat McGrath Lab’s Releases 17 New Bold Eyeshadows," 28 Mar. 2019 The quiet comes from the heavy cork padding under the wooden floors and a layer of acoustic insulation sandwiched between a double-layer of drywall. — Howie Kahn, WSJ, "The Hotel Where You’ll Be ‘Sleep-Coached’ Into Bed," 27 Mar. 2019 The engineering drawings look like Piranesi drafted them after a few double espressos. — Julie Lasky, ELLE Decor, "ED First Look: The National Museum of Qatar," 26 Mar. 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
The plan would double the amount of water that must flow freely through the Low San Joaquin River and three of its tributaries from February to June, meaning less water can be diverted for farming or other needs. — Kathleen Ronayne, The Seattle Times, "Farmers protest California water plan aimed to save salmon," 20 Aug. 2018 Hispanic women number 463, more than doubling since 2016, but making up about 2.3 percent of the workforce at Facebook, up from 1.8%. — Jessica Guynn, USA TODAY, "Facebook's diversity efforts failing African-American and Hispanic women," 12 July 2018 Andrus doubled to lead off the sixth, and then Nomar Mazara singled before Sale struck out Adrian Beltre . — Hartford Courant, courant.com, "Sale Helps Red Sox Win Ninth Straight, 4-2 Over Texas," 12 July 2018 Over the last four years, our digital revenue has grown triple digits percentage-wise, and our streaming revenue has virtually doubled from fiscal year '17 to '18. — Leila Cobo, Billboard, "Sony/ATV Latin President Jorge Mejia On Writing Music Memoir, Composing His Own Works, Going on Tour and Snagging 'Despacito' Writers," 29 June 2018 Meanwhile, outside the Navy Moore’s Law, which says constant improvements in miniaturization technology allows computing power to double every eighteen to twenty four months, has ruled computers in the civilian sector. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "The U.S. Navy Is Shrinking the Size of Its Gargantuan 70s-Era Computers," 26 Apr. 2019 Beauty is a tough market, and maintaining Violet Grey’s buzz is an evolving challenge, though the company claims to have doubled its revenue year over year in 2018, to more than $10 million. — Seth Abramovitch, Town & Country, "The Loves and Losses of Cassandra Grey," 18 Apr. 2019 Like a SimCity experiment, Las Catalinas continues to double in size each year, lending a sense of continual discovery for residents and returning guests. — Nora Walsh, Vogue, "Eco Idyll: Las Catalinas, the Car-Free Costa Rica Town, Welcomes a New Hotel," 4 Apr. 2019 Several days later comes Holy Wednesday, which falls on April 17 this year, and this recognizes Judas Iscariot and his plot to double-cross the savior. — Jennifer Aldrich, Country Living, "Here's How the Date of Easter Is Determined Each Year," 22 Feb. 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Adverb
In the 2018 midterm election, which included gubernatorial race, Florida saw the participation rates of voters aged 18 to 24 nearly double from 2014. — Seamus Kirst, Teen Vogue, "Andrew Gillum Lost the 2018 Midterms, But He's Still Moving Florida Forward," 30 Apr. 2019 Maeda even chased Godley in the sixth with a bloop double over the head of a badly fooled Peralta in left. — Greg Beacham, The Seattle Times, "Bellinger, Turner lead Dodgers’ demolition of D-backs, 18-5," 30 Mar. 2019 And there was a high demand for an eye cream—so the smart folks over at Glossier's HQ double-delivered with the newest skincare product that just launched today: an eye and lip plumping cream called Bubblewrap. — Maya Allen, Marie Claire, "Glossier Just Launched Bubblewrap, an Eye and Lip Plumping Cream I Got to Test First," 29 Apr. 2019 An audit by the comptroller’s office concluded that the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, which oversees the incentive programs, failed to accurately document the creation or retention of some jobs or had double counted some positions. — Joseph De Avila, WSJ, "New Jersey Gov. Murphy Unveils Plan for Revamped Tax Incentives," 16 Jan. 2019 Congress and the Trump administration already have been pumping up the funding for quantum computing research, with the Energy Department’s Office of Science seeing its quantum funding roughly double, to $120 million, for fiscal 2019. — John D. Mckinnon, WSJ, "House Passes Bill to Create National Quantum Computing Program," 19 Dec. 2018 German allowed only two hits — a leadoff double by Dee Gordon and a seventh-inning solo homer by Nelson Cruz — and nothing else in seven innings, retiring 19 consecutive batters at one point. — New York Times, "Yankees Top the Mariners in a Battle of the American League’s Elite," 19 June 2018 Pivotal has seen its revenue nearly double from $280.8 million in the fiscal year ending in 2016 to $509 million in the fiscal year ending in 2018, thanks largely to its primary cloud development product Pivotal Cloud Foundry. — Kirsten Korosec, Fortune, "3 Takeaways From the New Pivotal Software Upcoming IPO," 23 Mar. 2018 Still, Hayes was an effective starter and Murphy came off the bench, averaged double-digit points and was the second-most prolific shooter on the team. — Chris Chase, For The Win, "Has any Hall of Famer had a worse win-loss record than Joe Thomas?," 15 Mar. 2018Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
Myers has 12 of the Padres’ past 33 RBIs and is 13-for-35 with three doubles, a triple, four home runs and four walks in those 10 games. — Kevin Acee, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Padres notes: Wil Myers hits three homers; Kirby Yates gives up three runs," 8 July 2018 Shuck, who would have to clear waivers for the Marlins to keep him in the organization, hit .192 with three doubles, a triple and four RBI in 130 at-bats this season. — Andre C. Fernandez, miamiherald, "Martin Prado is back. Now can the Marlins' veteran third baseman avoid further injury?," 5 July 2018 Schwarber added to his RBI single with a solo homer in the fifth , and Contreras followed his with two doubles. — Schuyler Dixon, The Seattle Times, "Gallo, Rangers rally to beat Cubs 8-6 after Darvish flops," 30 Mar. 2019 Adam Duvall, who hit two doubles Tuesday night, added an opposite-field, solo home run in the eighth inning. — Bobby Nightengale, Cincinnati.com, "Scooter Gennett, Eugenio Suarez back-to-back homers lift Cincinnati Reds to win vs. Tigers," 20 June 2018 Miami hit leadoff doubles in the first and second innings, with both runners coming around to score. — David Ginsburg, Sun-Sentinel.com, "J.T. Realmuto's 2 home runs, 4 RBI power Marlins past Orioles," 16 June 2018 The Giants got 15 hits, including Brandon Crawford's two doubles. — Harvey Valentine, chicagotribune.com, "Stephen Strasburg exits with tight shoulder, will have MRI on Saturday," 8 June 2018 Bohm, 21, also excelled last summer in the vaunted Cape Cod League, finishing second in the batting race with a .351 average while hitting 10 doubles and five home runs. — Bob Brookover, Philly.com, "Wichita State's Alec Bohm selected by Phillies with third pick," 4 June 2018 Castellanos and Candelario hit back-to-back doubles and John Hicks singled before Reyes smacked a bases-clearing triple into the left-center field gap. … Rodriguez’s first hit was an infield single. — Anthony Fenech, Detroit Free Press, "Detroit Tigers get big boost from rookies in 6-2 win over Angels," 31 May 2018These 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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Learn More about double
From the Editors at Merriam-Webster
7 Uncommonly Doubled Letters
7 Uncommonly Doubled Letters
For word games and other shenanigans
Dictionary Entries near double
Statistics for double
Last Updated
16 May 2019
Look-up Popularity
Time Traveler for double
The first known use of double was in the 13th century
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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
verbEnglish 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
adverbEnglish Language Learners Definition of double (Entry 3 of 4)
: two times as many or as much
: two times
double
nounEnglish 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
adjective
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
verb
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
adverbKids 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
nounKids 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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Comments on double
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