Meaning of double In English

• 0 twice the size, amount, price, etc., or consisting of two similar things together:

  • I ordered a double espresso (= two standard amounts in one cup).

  • Go through the double doors and turn left.

  • The word "cool" has a double "o" in the middle.

  • Everything he says has a double meaning (= has two possible meanings).

  • This painkiller is double strength (= has twice the normal amount of medicine).

  • UK Sabiha's phone number is double three, one, five, double seven (= 331577).

  • a double primrose

• 1 a person who looks exactly the same as someone else:

  • Hey, Tony, I met someone at a party last week who was your double.

• 2 a game of tennis or a similar sport between two teams of two people:

  • men's/women's/mixed doubles

  • Who won the men's doubles at Wimbledon this year?

• 3 an occasion when a football team wins two major competitions in a single season:

  • Which was the first team to do the double in English football?

• 4 in baseball, a hit that allows the batter (= person who hits the ball) to reach second base

• 5 to become twice as much or as many, or to make something twice as much or many:

  • The government aims to double the number of students in higher education within 25 years.

  • Company profits have doubled since the introduction of new technology.

• 6 something that is twice the amount, size, strength, etc. of something else:

  • I paid double (= twice as much) for those trousers last week.

  • Electrical goods are almost double the price they were a few years ago.

  • "Would you like another whisky?" "Yes. Make it a double (= two standard amounts in one glass)."

• 7 in two parts or layers:

  • Fold the blanket double (= so that it is in two layers) and then you won't be cold.

  • They were bent double (= their heads and shoulders were bent forward and down) from decades of work in the fields.

  • I started seeing double, then I fainted.

• 8 twice the size, amount, price, etc., or consisting of two similar things together:

  • The cost of going to the movies is almost double what it was a few years ago.

  • Fold the blanket double (= so that it is in two layers) and then you won’t be cold.

• 9 a person who looks the same as someone else:

  • She is a double for Mary Tyler Moore.

• 10 to become twice as much or as many, or to make something twice as much or as many:

  • [ I ] Company profits have doubled in the last year.

  • [ T ] For four people, just double the recipe (= make twice as much).

  • [ I ] The kitchen table doubles as my desk.

• 11 to become twice as much or as many:

  • Some share prices can double in 12 months.

  • double in size/price/value He reckons the company can double in size over the next five years.

  • Production more than doubled from 4 million to 8.5 million per year in three years.

• 12 to make something twice as much or many:

  • She is unlikely to accept, even though the offer would double her salary.

  • Strong car sales more than doubled the company's profits in the first quarter.

• 13 twice the amount, size, etc. of something else:

  • pay/cost double He offered to pay them double to get the job done on time.

  • The true figure is 30%, more than double the figure of 14% quoted.

  • The group increased operating profit to $21.2 million, almost double its $11 million figure for last year.

  • Unemployment in the region is double that of its neighbouring area.

• 14 two times the size, amount, price, etc.:

  • Taxis in the conference area were said to be charging double rates.

  • Staff have been working double shifts, 16 hours at a time, throughout the Christmas period.

• 15 consisting of two similar things together:

  • double digits/figures He warned that inflation could soon reach double digits.

  • His extension number is 008, that's double zero eight.