double

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈdʌb.əl/^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle English duble (“twice, twofold”),^[2] borrowed from Old French doble (“double, twofold; two-faced, deceitful”), duble,^[3][2][4] from Latin duplus (“twofold, twice as much”),^[3][5] from duo (“two”) and -plus (“-fold”),^[3][2][6] from Proto-Indo-European *dwo- (“two”).^[3][5] The verb is from Old French dobler, from Latin duplāre.^[2][6] It is a doublet of duple.^[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

The earliest recorded use is about 1200 in double-feast, an important church festival;^[3] the adjective “twice, twofold” is probably from before 1200, in the Ancrene Riwle.^[2] The verb, “to make double”, is from about 1200^[3] or before 1300.^[2]

Semantic evolution

“Twice as much or as large” and “of two layers, of extra thickness” are from about 1300,^[3] and “characterized by duplicity” from the mid-14th century.^[3] A duplicate copy is from the mid-15th century.^[3] A backward turn to escape pursuers, of the noun, and “to turn in the opposite direction”, of the verb, are from the 1590s.^[3] An actor or singer able to replace a principal is by 1800, originally in opera, and the stunt double by 1945.^[3] Double time in the army is from 1833,^[3] the double bed from 1798, in Jane Austen's letters,^[2] and double cross, “an act of treachery”, from 1834.^[2] A double measure of liquor is by 1922.^[3] The game of doubles in tennis is by 1884,^[3] and a two-base hit in baseball by 1938.^[3] Double take and doubletalk are from 1938, in American English.^[2] “To work in a second job besides one's own” is about 1920, circus slang for performers who also played in the band.^[3]

Timeline

• c. 1200 – double-feast.^[3]
• c. 1300 – twice as much; verb, to make double.^[3]
• mid-14th century – deceitful.^[3]
• 1590s – a backward turn.^[3]
• 1798 – double bed.^[2]
• 1800 – a stand-in performer.^[3]
• 1834 – double cross.^[2]
• 1884 – doubles in tennis.^[3]
• 1938 – double take.^[2]

Modern meaning

Adjective

1. Twice as much in size, strength or amount.
2. Made of two like parts; paired.
3. Made for two: a double bed.
4. Deceitful; two-faced.
5. Of flowers, having more petals than usual.

Noun

1. Something twice as great.
2. A person or thing that closely resembles another; a duplicate.
3. An actor who stands in for another, as a understudy or in dangerous scenes.
4. (plural) A game with two players on each side.
5. A sharp turn, especially in running away.

Verb

1. To make or become twice as great.
2. To fold in two.
3. To serve in an additional role: the sofa doubles as a bed.
4. To turn back sharply.

Adverb

1. Twice; in twos: see double.

Word family

• doubleness
• doubler
• redouble
• undouble
• body double
• daily double
• ground rule double
• double up

Related words

• duple
• duplicate
• duplex
• doubt
• dubious
• twofold
• doublet
• doubloon
• two

References

1. ^ Jones, Daniel (2011), Cambridge English Pronouncing Dictionary, 18th ed., ed. Peter Roach, Jane Setter and John Esling, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Barnhart, Robert K. (1988), The Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
4. ^ Hoad, T. F., ed. (1986), The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology, Oxford: Clarendon Press
5. ^ a b The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (2000), 4th ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
6. ^ a b Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster