double
♦♦ dou|ble /d'ʌbəl/ (doubles doubling doubled)
1 [ADJ] ADJ n
You use double to indicate that something includes or is made of two things of the same kind.
...a pair of double doors into the room from the new entrance hall.
...a lone skier gliding along smooth double tracks.
2 [ADJ] ADJ n
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.
...an extremely nasty double murder...
3 [PREDET] PREDET the n
If something is double the amount or size of another thing, it is twice as large.
The offer was to start a new research laboratory at double the salary he was then getting...
= twice
≠ half
[PRON]
Double is also a pronoun.
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] usu ADJ n
A double room is a room intended for two people, usually a couple, to stay or live in.
...bed and breakfast for £180 for two people in a double room.
[N-COUNT]
Double is also a noun.
The Great Western Hotel costs around £60 a night for a double.
6 [ADJ] ADJ n
A double bed is a bed that is wide enough for two people to sleep in.
7 [ADJ] ADJ n
You use double to describe a drink that is twice the normal measure.
He was drinking his double whiskey too fast and scowling.
[N-COUNT]
Double is also a noun.
Give me a whisky, a double.
8 [ADJ] ADJ n
Double is used when you are spelling a word or telling someone a number to show that a letter or digit is repeated.
Ring four two double two double two if you'd like to speak to our financial adviser.
9 [VERB] V, V n
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...
The program will double the amount of money available to help pay for child care.
10 [N-COUNT] poss N
If you refer to someone as a person's double, you mean that they look exactly like them.
Your mother sees you as her double.
11 [VERB] V as n
If a person or thing doubles as 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.
[PHRASAL VERB] V P as n
Double up means the same as double.
The lids of the casserole dishes are designed to double up as baking dishes.
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 [PHRASE] v-link PHR
If you are bent double, the top half of your body is bent downwards so that your head is close to your knees.
Pickers are bent double, plucking each flower with lightning speed.
14 [PHRASE] V inflects
If you are seeing double, there is something wrong with your eyes, and you can see two images instead of one.
I was dizzy, seeing double.
15
in double figures: see figuredou|ble act (double acts)
also double-act
[N-COUNT]
Two comedians or entertainers who perform together are referred to as a double act. Their performance can also be called a double act.
...a famous comedy double act...dou|ble agent (double agents)
[N-COUNT]
A double agent is someone who works as a spy for a particular country or organization, but who also works for its enemies.double back
[PHRASAL VERB] V P
If you double back you go back in the direction that you came from.
We drove past it and had to double back.
= turn backdou|ble bass /d'ʌbəl b'eɪs/ (double basses)
also double-bass
[N-VAR] oft the N
A double bass is the largest instrument in the violin family.dou|ble bill (double bills)
also double-bill
[N-COUNT] oft N of n
A double bill is a theatre or cinema performance in which there are two shows on the programme.dou|ble bind (double binds)
[N-COUNT] usu sing
If you are in a double bind, you are in a very difficult situation, because whatever decision you make will have bad results.
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.
= catch 22dou|ble bluff (double bluffs)
[N-VAR]
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)
They suspected this was a double bluff on the part of Cairo Intelligence.
...a continual round of bluff and double bluff.dou|ble chin (double chins)
[N-COUNT] usu sing
If someone has a double chin, they have a fold of fat under their chin, making them look as if they have two chins.dou|ble cream
[N-UNCOUNT]
Double cream is very thick cream. (BRIT; in AM, use heavy cream)dou|ble en|ten|dre /d'uːbəl ɒnt'ɒndrə/ (double entendres)
[N-VAR]
A double entendre is a word or phrase that has two meanings, one of which is rude and often sexual.
He is a master of the pun and the double entendre...dou|ble fault (double faults)
[N-COUNT]
In tennis, if a player serves a double fault, they make a mistake with both serves and lose the point.dou|ble glaz|ing
also double-glazing
[N-UNCOUNT]
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)dou|ble life (double lives)
[N-COUNT] usu sing
If you say that someone is living a double life, you mean that they lead two separate and very different lives, and they appear to be a different person in each.
She threatened to publicly expose his double life if he left her.dou|ble stand|ard (double standards)
[N-COUNT]
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.
Mrs Starky accused the local police of operating double standards...double up
1 [PHRASAL VERB] V n P, V P with/in n
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...
They laugh so hard they double up with laughter.
[PHRASAL VERB] V-ed P
Double over means the same as double up.
Everyone was doubled over in laughter.
2
see also double 11dou|ble vi|sion
[N-UNCOUNT]
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.
1 [ADJ] ADJ n
You use double to indicate that something includes or is made of two things of the same kind.
...a pair of double doors into the room from the new entrance hall.
...a lone skier gliding along smooth double tracks.
2 [ADJ] ADJ n
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.
...an extremely nasty double murder...
3 [PREDET] PREDET the n
If something is double the amount or size of another thing, it is twice as large.
The offer was to start a new research laboratory at double the salary he was then getting...
= twice
≠ half
[PRON]
Double is also a pronoun.
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] usu ADJ n
A double room is a room intended for two people, usually a couple, to stay or live in.
...bed and breakfast for £180 for two people in a double room.
[N-COUNT]
Double is also a noun.
The Great Western Hotel costs around £60 a night for a double.
6 [ADJ] ADJ n
A double bed is a bed that is wide enough for two people to sleep in.
7 [ADJ] ADJ n
You use double to describe a drink that is twice the normal measure.
He was drinking his double whiskey too fast and scowling.
[N-COUNT]
Double is also a noun.
Give me a whisky, a double.
8 [ADJ] ADJ n
Double is used when you are spelling a word or telling someone a number to show that a letter or digit is repeated.
Ring four two double two double two if you'd like to speak to our financial adviser.
9 [VERB] V, V n
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...
The program will double the amount of money available to help pay for child care.
10 [N-COUNT] poss N
If you refer to someone as a person's double, you mean that they look exactly like them.
Your mother sees you as her double.
11 [VERB] V as n
If a person or thing doubles as 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.
[PHRASAL VERB] V P as n
Double up means the same as double.
The lids of the casserole dishes are designed to double up as baking dishes.
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 [PHRASE] v-link PHR
If you are bent double, the top half of your body is bent downwards so that your head is close to your knees.
Pickers are bent double, plucking each flower with lightning speed.
14 [PHRASE] V inflects
If you are seeing double, there is something wrong with your eyes, and you can see two images instead of one.
I was dizzy, seeing double.
15
in double figures: see figuredou|ble act (double acts)
also double-act
[N-COUNT]
Two comedians or entertainers who perform together are referred to as a double act. Their performance can also be called a double act.
...a famous comedy double act...dou|ble agent (double agents)
[N-COUNT]
A double agent is someone who works as a spy for a particular country or organization, but who also works for its enemies.double back
[PHRASAL VERB] V P
If you double back you go back in the direction that you came from.
We drove past it and had to double back.
= turn backdou|ble bass /d'ʌbəl b'eɪs/ (double basses)
also double-bass
[N-VAR] oft the N
A double bass is the largest instrument in the violin family.dou|ble bill (double bills)
also double-bill
[N-COUNT] oft N of n
A double bill is a theatre or cinema performance in which there are two shows on the programme.dou|ble bind (double binds)
[N-COUNT] usu sing
If you are in a double bind, you are in a very difficult situation, because whatever decision you make will have bad results.
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.
= catch 22dou|ble bluff (double bluffs)
[N-VAR]
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)
They suspected this was a double bluff on the part of Cairo Intelligence.
...a continual round of bluff and double bluff.dou|ble chin (double chins)
[N-COUNT] usu sing
If someone has a double chin, they have a fold of fat under their chin, making them look as if they have two chins.dou|ble cream
[N-UNCOUNT]
Double cream is very thick cream. (BRIT; in AM, use heavy cream)dou|ble en|ten|dre /d'uːbəl ɒnt'ɒndrə/ (double entendres)
[N-VAR]
A double entendre is a word or phrase that has two meanings, one of which is rude and often sexual.
He is a master of the pun and the double entendre...dou|ble fault (double faults)
[N-COUNT]
In tennis, if a player serves a double fault, they make a mistake with both serves and lose the point.dou|ble glaz|ing
also double-glazing
[N-UNCOUNT]
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)dou|ble life (double lives)
[N-COUNT] usu sing
If you say that someone is living a double life, you mean that they lead two separate and very different lives, and they appear to be a different person in each.
She threatened to publicly expose his double life if he left her.dou|ble stand|ard (double standards)
[N-COUNT]
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.
Mrs Starky accused the local police of operating double standards...double up
1 [PHRASAL VERB] V n P, V P with/in n
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...
They laugh so hard they double up with laughter.
[PHRASAL VERB] V-ed P
Double over means the same as double up.
Everyone was doubled over in laughter.
2
see also double 11dou|ble vi|sion
[N-UNCOUNT]
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.