noun
Common
doubles
Doubles (noun) means a match or game played between two teams of two players each, especially in tennis or badminton. Example: “They entered the mixed doubles tournament together.”
noun
1
A match or game played between two teams of two players each, especially in tennis or badminton.
"Seeing as we've got four people, let's play doubles."
"They entered the mixed doubles tournament together."
"My sister and I play doubles at the local tennis club every Sunday."
"The badminton doubles final went to three tense sets."
2
A Trinidadian street food made of two pieces of fried flatbread filled with curried chickpeas.
"She grabbed doubles from a roadside vendor for breakfast."
"We queued at the stall for doubles with extra pepper sauce."
"Doubles is a popular snack on the streets of Port of Spain."
How to use doubles
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishMost often refers to a two-against-two match in racket sports, or, in Caribbean cooking, a popular chickpea sandwich.
Common pairings
play doubles
mixed doubles
doubles partner
Vocabulary Flow
Build your vocabulary from words like doubles.
Vocabulary Flow serves the next word, and the next — meaning, pronunciation and an example each time. Practice at your level, or learn English in your own language.
Start vocabulary practice
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
They entered the mixed _____ tournament together.
Rhymes for doubles
See all rhymes for doubles →Frequently asked questions
What does “doubles” mean?
The word “doubles” means a match or game played between two teams of two players each, especially in tennis or badminton. In plain terms, most often refers to a two-against-two match in racket sports, or, in Caribbean cooking, a popular chickpea sandwich.
How do you use “doubles” in a sentence?
Here is “doubles” used in a sentence: “They entered the mixed doubles tournament together.”
What part of speech is “doubles”?
“Doubles” is a noun.
Is “doubles” a common word?
“Doubles” is a fairly common word in modern English.
How many meanings does “doubles” have?
“Doubles” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a match or game played between two teams of two players each, especially in tennis or badminton.
What is the difference between "singles" and "doubles" in tennis?
In singles, one player competes against another, while in doubles each side is a team of two players. Doubles also uses a slightly wider court, because the side tramlines (alleys) are counted as in.
What is the difference between "doubles" and "mixed doubles"?
Doubles is a match between two teams of two players. In mixed doubles, each team is specifically made up of one man and one woman.
Why is the Trinidadian dish called "doubles" if a serving is one snack?
The dish is called doubles because it is made with two pieces of fried flatbread (bara) sandwiching a curried chickpea filling. The name reflects the pair of flatbreads, which is also why people order "a doubles" even though it is a single snack.
What is the difference between "doubles" and "a double"?
In sport, "doubles" (with s) most often means the two-against-two format, as in tennis doubles. "A double" (singular) has many separate meanings, such as a lookalike, a two-base hit in baseball, or a double measure of a drink, and is not the same as the doubles format.
