Double has 27 different meanings across 5 categories:
Noun · Verb · Adjective · Adverb · Proper Noun
a base hit on which the batter stops safely at second base
"he hit a double to deep centerfield"
a stand-in for movie stars to perform dangerous stunts
"his first job in Hollywood was as a double for Clark Gable"
someone who closely resembles a famous person (especially an actor)
"he could be Gingrich's double"
"she's the very image of her mother"
Twice the number, amount, size, etc.
"To catch both races on Memorial Day weekend, several drivers opted to double by flying directly from Indianapolis to Charlotte for the Coca-Cola 600 immediately after their Indy 500 stint."
Collectively, both the Indianapolis 500, a day race, and the Coca-Cola 600, an evening race, both of which are run on Memorial Day weekend Sunday. Used concerning racers who (wish[/ed/ing] to) participat[e/ed/ing] in both events, typically using a private jet to travel between Indianapolis, Indiana, after the 500 and Charlotte, North Carolina, to get to the 600.
In plain English: A double is a person who has two parents of the same gender.
"The double on the left side of the bed was too narrow for both of us."
Usage: As a noun, "double" refers specifically to a driver who competes in both the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 during Memorial Day weekend. Use this term only when describing racers attempting to participate in these two specific events back-to-back.
hit a two-base hit
"The rookie managed to double down the left-field line during the bottom of the ninth inning."
bend over or curl up, usually with laughter or pain
"He doubled and vomited violently"
do double duty; serve two purposes or have two functions
"She doubles as his wife and secretary"
bridge: make a demand for (a card or suit)
"After my partner opened 1NT, I doubled their bid to show that I held enough strength to force them into game."
make or do or perform again
"He could never replicate his brilliant performance of the magic trick"
To multiply by two.
"If you double the amount of flour in the recipe, the dough will be twice as thick."
In plain English: To double something means to make it twice as big or many times larger than it was before.
"I need to double my order because I want extra fries."
Usage: Use "double" as a verb when you want to increase something to twice its original amount, such as doubling a recipe or your speed. Avoid using it to mean simply adding more unless the total quantity is exactly two times the starting value.
used of flowers having more than the usual number of petals in crowded or overlapping arrangements
"double chrysanthemums have many rows of petals and are usually spherical or hemispherical"
Made up of two matching or complementary elements.
"The double doors to the library opened smoothly, revealing two perfectly aligned panels that met in the center without a gap."
In plain English: Double means having two of something, like a double bed that fits two people.
Usage: Use "double" as an adjective to describe something consisting of two identical or paired parts, such as a double bed with two separate mattresses. Do not use it to mean twice the size unless specifically referring to a doubled quantity in that exact context.
Twice over; twofold; doubly.
"The new policy will double our workload, forcing us to complete twice as many reports in half the time."
In plain English: To double means to do something twice as much or with extra effort.
"Please double check your work before you submit it."
Usage: Use "double" as an adverb to indicate that something happens twice as much or in two parts, often placed after the verb it modifies. For example, say "I will double the recipe's ingredients" rather than "I will doublely increase them."
A surname.
"The Double family has lived on that street for three generations."
The word "double" comes from the Latin term duplus, which means "twofold." It entered English through Middle English and Old French, carrying its original sense of being doubled or consisting of two parts.