Meaning & use
double-barrelled
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Meanings
adjectivebefore a noun
Having two barrels, especially of a gun.
Grammar: Used before a noun: a double-barrelled shotgun.
He kept a double-barrelled shotgun locked in a cabinet.
The farmer carried a double-barrelled rifle for protection.
A double-barrelled pistol was on display in the museum.
adjectivebefore a noun
Having two parts joined by a hyphen, especially a surname.
Grammar: Used before a noun: a double-barrelled name.
She has a double-barrelled surname because both her parents wanted their family names included.
In some social circles, a double-barrelled name is seen as a sign of status.
The author writes under a double-barrelled pen name.
adjectivebefore a nountechnical
(of a word or phrase) Having two parts joined by a hyphen, such as 'well-known'.
Grammar: Used before a noun: a double-barrelled word.
In English, 'mother-in-law' is a double-barrelled compound noun.
The teacher explained that double-barrelled adjectives like 'blue-eyed' are common.
Some double-barrelled words are hyphenated to avoid confusion.
Common combinations
- double-barrelled shotgun
- He bought a double-barrelled shotgun for hunting.
- double-barrelled name
- Her double-barrelled name is a combination of her parents' surnames.
- double-barrelled surname
- In the UK, a double-barrelled surname often indicates aristocratic background.
- double-barrelled question
- The interviewer asked a double-barrelled question that required two answers.
Synonyms and how they differ
- hyphenated
- Used for names or words with a hyphen; 'double-barrelled' is more specific to two-part names and guns.
- two-barrelled
- A less common variant that also means having two barrels, but it is not used for names.
Word family
- barrel noun
- The tube of a gun through which the bullet travels.
- double-barreled adjective
- American spelling of the same word.
Commonly confused: double-barrelled or double-breasted?
double-barrelled vs double-breasted
Refers to a jacket or coat with two overlapping front parts, not to guns or names.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'double-barrelled' correctly?
Choose one answer.
The correct answer is B because 'double-barrelled' describes a surname made of two hyphenated parts. An is wrong because 'double-breasted' is used for jackets. C and D are wrong because 'double-barrelled' does not describe cars or houses.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “double-barrelled”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.