catflap.org Online Dictionary Query

  Double \Dou"ble\ (d[u^]b"'l), a. [OE. doble, duble, double, OF.
     doble, duble, double, F. double, fr. L. duplus, fr. the root
     of duo two, and perh. that of plenus full; akin to Gr.
     diplo`os double. See Two, and Full, and cf. Diploma,
     Duple.]
     1. Twofold; multiplied by two; increased by its equivalent;
        made twice as large or as much, etc.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              Let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me. -- 2
                                                    Kings ii. 9.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              Darkness and tempest make a double night. --Dryden.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. Being in pairs; presenting two of a kind, or two in a set
        together; coupled.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              [Let] The swan, on still St. Mary's lake,
              Float double, swan and shadow.        --Wordsworth.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     3. Divided into two; acting two parts, one openly and the
        other secretly; equivocal; deceitful; insincere.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              With a double heart do they speak.    -- Ps. xii. 2.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     4. (Bot.) Having the petals in a flower considerably
        increased beyond the natural number, usually as the result
        of cultivation and the expense of the stamens, or stamens
        and pistils. The white water lily and some other plants
        have their blossoms naturally double.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     Note: Double is often used as the first part of a compound
           word, generally denoting two ways, or twice the number,
           quantity, force, etc., twofold, or having two.
           [1913 Webster]
  
     Double base, or Double bass (Mus.), the largest and
        lowest-toned instrument in the violin form; the
        contrabasso or violone.
  
     Double convex. See under Convex.
  
     Double counterpoint (Mus.), that species of counterpoint or
        composition, in which two of the parts may be inverted, by
        setting one of them an octave higher or lower.
  
     Double court (Lawn Tennis), a court laid out for four
        players, two on each side.
  
     Double dagger (Print.), a reference mark ([dag]) next to
        the dagger ([dagger]) in order; a diesis.
  
     Double drum (Mus.), a large drum that is beaten at both
        ends.
  
     Double eagle, a gold coin of the United States having the
        value of 20 dollars.
  
     Double entry. See under Bookkeeping.
  
     Double floor (Arch.), a floor in which binding joists
        support flooring joists above and ceiling joists below.
        See Illust. of Double-framed floor.
  
     Double flower. See Double, a., 4.
  
     Double-framed floor (Arch.), a double floor having girders
        into which the binding joists are framed.
  
     Double fugue (Mus.), a fugue on two subjects.
  
     Double letter.
        (a) (Print.) Two letters on one shank; a ligature.
        (b) A mail requiring double postage.
  
     Double note (Mus.), a note of double the length of the
        semibreve; a breve. See Breve.
  
     Double octave (Mus.), an interval composed of two octaves,
        or fifteen notes, in diatonic progression; a fifteenth.
  
     Double pica. See under Pica.
  
     Double play (Baseball), a play by which two players are put
        out at the same time.
  
     Double plea (Law), a plea alleging several matters in
        answer to the declaration, where either of such matters
        alone would be a sufficient bar to the action. --Stephen.
  
     Double point (Geom.), a point of a curve at which two
        branches cross each other. Conjugate or isolated points of
        a curve are called double points, since they possess most
        of the properties of double points (see Conjugate). They
        are also called acnodes, and those points where the
        branches of the curve really cross are called crunodes.
        The extremity of a cusp is also a double point.
  
     Double quarrel. (Eccl. Law) See Duplex querela, under
        Duplex.
  
     Double refraction. (Opt.) See Refraction.
  
     Double salt. (Chem.)
        (a) A mixed salt of any polybasic acid which has been
            saturated by different bases or basic radicals, as the
            double carbonate of sodium and potassium,
            NaKCO3.6H2O.
        (b) A molecular combination of two distinct salts, as
            common alum, which consists of the sulphate of
            aluminium, and the sulphate of potassium or ammonium.
            
  
     Double shuffle, a low, noisy dance.
  
     Double standard (Polit. Econ.), a double standard of
        monetary values; i. e., a gold standard and a silver
        standard, both of which are made legal tender.
  
     Double star (Astron.), two stars so near to each other as
        to be seen separate only by means of a telescope. Such
        stars may be only optically near to each other, or may be
        physically connected so that they revolve round their
        common center of gravity, and in the latter case are
        called also binary stars.
  
     Double time (Mil.). Same as Double-quick.
  
     Double window, a window having two sets of glazed sashes
        with an air space between them.
        [1913 Webster]

  Double \Dou"ble\, a. [OE. doble, duble, double, OF. doble,
     duble, double, F. double, fr. L. duplus, fr. the root of duo
     two, and perh. that of plenus full; akin to Gr. ? double. See
     Two, and Full, and cf. Diploma, Duple.]
     1. Twofold; multiplied by two; increased by its equivalent;
        made twice as large or as much, etc.
  
              Let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me. -- 2
                                                    Kings ii. 9.
  
              Darkness and tempest make a double night. --Dryden.
  
     2. Being in pairs; presenting two of a kind, or two in a set
        together; coupled.
  
              [Let] The swan, on still St. Mary's lake, Float
              double, swan and shadow.              --Wordsworth.
  
     3. Divided into two; acting two parts, one openly and the
        other secretly; equivocal; deceitful; insincere.
  
              With a double heart do they speak.    -- Ps. xii. 2.
  
     4. (Bot.) Having the petals in a flower considerably
        increased beyond the natural number, usually as the result
        of cultivation and the expense of the stamens, or stamens
        and pistils. The white water lily and some other plants
        have their blossoms naturally double.
  
     Note: Double is often used as the first part of a compound
           word, generally denoting two ways, or twice the number,
           quantity, force, etc., twofold, or having two.
  
     Double base, or Double bass (Mus.), the largest and
        lowest-toned instrument in the violin form; the
        contrabasso or violone.
  
     Double convex. See under Convex.
  
     Double counterpoint (Mus.), that species of counterpoint or
        composition, in which two of the parts may be inverted, by
        setting one of them an octave higher or lower.
  
     Double court (Lawn Tennis), a court laid out for four
        players, two on each side.
  
     Double dagger (Print.), a reference mark ([dag]) next to
        the dagger ([dagger]) in order; a diesis.
  
     Double drum (Mus.), a large drum that is beaten at both
        ends.
  
     Double eagle, a gold coin of the United States having the
        value of 20 dollars.
  
     Double entry. See under Bookkeeping.
  
     Double floor (Arch.), a floor in which binding joists
        support flooring joists above and ceiling joists below.
        See Illust. of Double-framed floor.
  
     Double flower. See Double, a., 4.
  
     Double-framed floor (Arch.), a double floor having girders
        into which the binding joists are framed.
  
     Double fugue (Mus.), a fugue on two subjects.
  
     Double letter.
        (a) (Print.) Two letters on one shank; a ligature.
        (b) A mail requiring double postage.
  
     Double note (Mus.), a note of double the length of the
        semibreve; a breve. See Breve.
  
     Double octave (Mus.), an interval composed of two octaves,
        or fifteen notes, in diatonic progression; a fifteenth.
  
     Double pica. See under Pica.
  
     Double play (Baseball), a play by which two players are put
        out at the same time.
  
     Double plea (Law), a plea alleging several matters in
        answer to the declaration, where either of such matters
        alone would be a sufficient bar to the action. --Stephen.
  
     Double point (Geom.), a point of a curve at which two
        branches cross each other. Conjugate or isolated points of
        a curve are called double points, since they possess most
        of the properties of double points (see Conjugate). They
        are also called acnodes, and those points where the
        branches of the curve really cross are called crunodes.
        The extremity of a cusp is also a double point.
  
     Double quarrel. (Eccl. Law) See Duplex querela, under
        Duplex.
  
     Double refraction. (Opt.) See Refraction.
  
     Double salt. (Chem.)
        (a) A mixed salt of any polybasic acid which has been
            saturated by different bases or basic radicals, as the
            double carbonate of sodium and potassium,
            NaKCO3.6H2O.
        (b) A molecular combination of two distinct salts, as
            common alum, which consists of the sulphate of
            aluminium, and the sulphate of potassium or ammonium.
            
  
     Double shuffle, a low, noisy dance.
  
     Double standard (Polit. Econ.), a double standard of
        monetary values; i. e., a gold standard and a silver
        standard, both of which are made legal tender.
  
     Double star (Astron.), two stars so near to each other as
        to be seen separate only by means of a telescope. Such
        stars may be only optically near to each other, or may be
        physically connected so that they revolve round their
        common center of gravity, and in the latter case are
        called also binary stars.
  
     Double time (Mil.). Same as Double-quick.
  
     Double window, a window having two sets of glazed sashes
        with an air space between them.