American Heritage Dictionary Entry: double HOW TO USE THE DICTIONARY To look up an entry in The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, use the search window above. For best results, after typing in the word, click on the “Search” button instead of using the “enter” key. Some compound words (like bus rapid transit, dog whistle, or identity theft) don’t appear on the drop-down list when you type them in the search bar. For best results with compound words, place a quotation mark before the compound word in the search window. guide to the dictionary THE USAGE PANEL The Usage Panel is a group of nearly 200 prominent scholars, creative writers, journalists, diplomats, and others in occupations requiring mastery of language. Annual surveys have gauged the acceptability of particular usages and grammatical constructions. The Panelists NEED HELP SOLVING A CROSSWORD PUZZLE? Go to our Crossword Puzzle Solver and type in the letters that you know, and the Solver will produce a list of possible solutions. -- AMERICAN HERITAGE DICTIONARY APP The new American Heritage Dictionary app is now available for iOS and Android. THE AMERICAN HERITAGE DICTIONARY BLOG The articles in our blog examine new words, revised definitions, interesting images from the fifth edition, discussions of usage, and more. OPEN DICTIONARY PROJECT Share your ideas for new words and new meanings of old words! Start Sharing Now! -- See word lists from the best-selling 100 Words Series! Find out more! INTERESTED IN DICTIONARIES? Check out the Dictionary Society of North America at http://www.dictionarysociety.com dou·ble (dŭbəl) Share: Tweet adj. 1. Twice as much in size, strength, number, or amount: a double dose. 2. Composed of two like parts: double doors. 3. Composed of two unlike parts; dual: a double meaning; a double role for an actor. 4. Accommodating or designed for two: a double bed; a double room. 5. Characterized by duplicity; deceitful: speak with a double tongue. 6. Botany Having many more than the usual number of petals, usually in a crowded or an overlapping arrangement: a double chrysanthemum. n. 1. Something increased twofold. 2. One that closely resembles another; a duplicate. 3. a. Something having two identifiable or prominent parts or members. b. Something capable of carrying, moving, or holding two people or things, as a mattress. 4. a. An actor's understudy. b. An actor who takes the place of another actor in scenes requiring special skills or preparations: a stunt double; a body double. 5. An apparition; a wraith. 6. a. A sharp turn in a direction of movement; a reversal. b. A sharp, often devious change in position or argument; a shift. 7. doubles Sports A form of a game, such as tennis or handball, having two players on each side. 8. Baseball A hit enabling the batter to reach second base. Also called two-bagger, two-base hit. 9. Games a. A bid in bridge indicating strength to one's partner; a request for a bid. b. A bid doubling one's opponent's bid in bridge, thus increasing the penalty for failure to fulfill the contract. c. A hand justifying such a bid. v. dou·bled, dou·bling, dou·bles v.tr. 1. To make twice as great. 2. To be twice as much as: doubled the score of his opponent. 3. To fold in two. 4. To clench (one's fist). 5. To duplicate; repeat. 6. To turn (an enemy spy) into a double agent. 7. Baseball a. To cause the scoring of (a run) by hitting a double. b. To advance or score (a runner) by hitting a double. c. To put out (a runner) as the second part of a double play. 8. Games To challenge (an opponent's bid) with a double in bridge. 9. Music To duplicate (another part or voice) an octave higher or lower or in unison. 10. Nautical To sail around: double a cape. v.intr. 1. To be increased twofold: The debt soon doubled. 2. To turn sharply or all the way around; reverse one's course: had to double back to touch the missed base. 3. To serve in an additional capacity: a frying pan that doubles as a pie tin; a conductor who doubles as a pianist. 4. To replace an actor in the actor's absence or in a certain scene. 5. Baseball To hit a double. 6. Games To announce a double in bridge. adv. 1. To twice the amount or extent; doubly: paid double for the customized car. 2. Two together; in pairs: sleeping double. 3. In two: bent double.Phrasal Verb: double up 1. To bend suddenly, as in pain or laughter. 2. To share accommodations meant for one person.Idiom: on/at the double 1. Immediately. 2. In double time. [Middle English, from Old French, from Latin duplus; see dwo- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] double·ness n. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved. Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices: Indo-European Roots Semitic Roots The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots. American Heritage Dictionary Products The American Heritage Dictionary, 5th Edition The American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms The American Heritage Roget's Thesaurus Curious George's Dictionary The American Heritage Children's Dictionary CONTACT US Customer Service Make Me An Author Ebooks Help with Glose Reader ABOUT US Company Profile Leadership Team Corporate Social Responsibility HarperCollins Careers HarperCollins Imprints HarperGreen Social Media Directory Accessibility FOR READERS Browse Reading Guides FOR AUTHORS Submit a Manuscript Report Piracy Agent Portal MEDIA Publicity Contacts Press Room SERVICES HarperCollins Speakers Bureau Library Services Academic Services Desk & Exam Copies Review Copies OpenBook API Marketing Partnerships COVID-19 RESOURCES & PERMISSIONS Permissions for Adult Online Readings Permissions for Kids Online Readings SALES & RIGHTS Booksellers & Retailer Ordering HarperCollins Catalogs Permissions Subsidiary Rights Media Rights and Content Development GLOSE APP iPhone Android GLOBAL DIVISIONS HarperCollins US HarperCollins Canada HarperCollins Christian HarperCollins Australia HarperCollins India HarperCollins UK Terms of Use • Terms of Sale • Your Ad Choices • Privacy Policy • California Privacy Policy Do Not Sell My Personal Information Copyright 2022 HarperCollins Publishers All rights reserved. *This website is best viewed in Chrome, Firefox, Microsoft Edge, or Safari. Some characters in pronunciations and etymologies cannot be displayed properly in Internet Explorer.