| daily double |
a bet that may be won only by picking both winners in two different races on the same day, as in horse racing. |
| double agent |
a spy employed by both of two opposed or competitive countries, companies, or the like. |
| double bar |
two heavy vertical lines on a musical staff used to indicate the end of a piece or of a major subdivision of a piece. |
| double bass |
the largest instrument of the violin family and that which has the deepest tone. The double bass is often called simply "the bass." |
| double bassoon |
see "contrabassoon." |
| double bind |
a situation in which a person can satisfy one expectation or demand only by failing to satisfy another; dilemma. |
| double boiler |
a pot consisting of a lower part, in which water is boiled to create steam, and an upper part that fits snugly into the top of the lower, in which food can be cooked, warmed, or melted slowly. |
| double check |
to check something twice to make sure that it is correct. |
| double chin |
one or more fatty folds of flesh beneath the chin. |
| double cross |
(informal) a betrayal or swindle accomplished by a course of action contrary to that previously agreed upon with the victim. [2 definitions] |
| double dagger |
a sign consisting of a small vertical line crossed by two smaller horizontal lines, used as a reference mark, as for a footnote; diesis. |
| double date |
(informal) in the United States, a social outing shared by two couples. |
| double dipping |
the practice, often regarded as unethical, of receiving benefits such as salary, pension, or other compensation from two organizations simultaneously. |
| double dribble |
in basketball, the illegal action of a player who either dribbles the ball with both hands or resumes dribbling after a complete stop. |
| double entendre |
a word or expression that has two meanings, one of them usu. sexually suggestive. |
| double entry |
a common bookkeeping system in which each transaction is credited to one account and debited to another. (Cf. single entry.) |
| double exposure |
the act of making two exposures on the same film, photographic plate, or the like. [2 definitions] |
| double feature |
a movie theater program that offers two feature films for the price of one admission. |
| double flat |
a musical sign placed before a note, indicating that its pitch is to be lowered by two semitones. |
| double indemnity |
a provision in a life or accident insurance policy that twice the face value of the contract will be paid in the event of accidental death. |