English → Latin
“double” in Latin
duplextwofold; two; double; bipartite; cloven; ambiguousduplusdouble (twice as much, or as big)geminustwinborn, twin; double, paired, two, twofold, both, half-and-half; resembling, similar, likegeminōto double; to repeat, do again; to pair, join, uniteancepsdouble-headed, having two heads; having two summits or peaks; facing in two directionsbipartiōto divide in two; to bisectfossaa ditch, trench, moat, fosse; a gutter, waterway; a furrow drawn to mark foundationsstīpendiumtax, impost, tribute, contribution; dues; pay, stipend (military)flectōto bend, curve or bow; to deviate, distract; to turn or curlduplicōto double, multiply by two, duplicate; repeat; enlarge, increase, exaggerate; to double up, bow, bend something; to doub
The English word double itself goes back to Latin duo, through duplus.
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
double
duplex (two-fold; a multiplicative; denoting the double as distinct magnitudes to be counted; e.g., fossas, vallum, stipendium): duplus (a proportional; representing double as continuous magnitudes to be weighed or measured; duplex as adjective, duplum as substantive): geminus (of which each is twin to the other; duplex denotes doubleness with similarity or equality; geminus denotes similarity or equality with doubleness; Döderlein): geminatus (repeated over again in exactly the same form, etc.): anceps (having two heads; hence, figuratively, having two sides or directions; that may be considered in two points of view.”In anceps there always lies the notion of what is doubtful, critical, or dangerous; not that of simple doubleness,” Herz. ad Caes., B.G., 1, 26): bipartitus (divided into two parts). A soldier who receives double rations, miles duplicarius: a double victory, victoria geminata. THE DOUBLE, duplum: alterum tantum (for which duplex appears first in Liv.): bis tantum (Varr.). A double victory, victoria geminata (Liv.): proelium anceps (Caes., Nep.): to make double, duplicare, geminare. A double cloak, amiculum duplex (Nep.). A double saw, ex omni parte dentata serra or serrula (Vid: Cic., Cluent., 64, 180). A double sense, ambiguitas (e.g., verborum): suspicio ridiculi abscondita (double-entendre). A double sun, sol geminatus: soles bini (two seen at once, Sen., Quaest. Nat. 1, 11, 1). A double door, fores bifores or only fores (having two leaves; if each is folded like a window-shutter, they are called valvae). Double-tongued, bilinguis (speaking two languages; also figuratively hypocritical, etc.): ambigui ingenii (deceitful, etc.): bisulcilingua only comedy, Plaut., Poen., 5, 2, 74. A double tongue, ambiguum ingenium.
double s.
Twice as much, duplum; alterum tantum; bis tantum (Varr.).
A turn in running, flexus (Quint.).
A trick, etc., Vid: perhaps fiexiones: maeandri (after quos tu maeandros - quae deverticula flexionesque quaesisti, Cic.; but in him it is said of a person returning by by-ways, etc., under circumstances of disgrace).
double v.
TRANS., duplicare (the proper word, PROP. and figuratively): geminare (to put two things together so that they may appear a pair; to put two equal things together; e.g., legionum castra).
To sail round a cape, flectere promontorium (Cic., Divin., 2, 45, 94): circumvehi promontorium (Liv. 10; also participle active circumvehens, as he was doubling, etc.).
To double down a leaf, *schedae marginem replicare (marginem replicare, Plin., 9, 33, 52).
INTRANS., duplicari.
To double and turn, huc atque illuc tergiversari: maeandros multos flexionesque quaerere [Vid: quotation under DOUBLE, s.] : to elude by doubling, flexu eludere (Quint.).
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for double?
- The usual Latin words for “double” are duplex, duplus, geminus; also geminō, anceps, bipartiō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.
Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.