doublings

Meanings

1. 1nounplural

   Instances or results of becoming twice as large, numerous, or intense.

   Grammar: Countable plural; use it when you can count separate increases, as in 'three doublings'.

   Patterns

   • a doubling of something
   • doublings in something
   • repeated doublings

   The company reported three doublings in annual revenue over a decade.

   Scientists observed doublings in the cell population every twenty-four hours.

   The chart shows doublings in the number of users each year.

2. 2nounplural

   Repeated acts of folding something in two, especially fabric.

   Grammar: Countable plural; often used with 'of' to show what is folded.

   Patterns

   • doublings of something
   • neat doublings

   The tailor made precise doublings of the cloth before cutting.

   She checked the doublings of the hem to make sure they were even.

   The instructions call for two doublings of the paper.

Word forms

Common combinations

a doubling of

There was a doubling of prices in just one year.

doublings in

The report noted doublings in production across several factories.

repeated doublings

Repeated doublings of the dose can be dangerous.

annual doublings

Annual doublings of the data set made storage a challenge.

Synonyms and how they differ

increases

More general; 'increases' can be any size, while 'doublings' means specifically becoming twice as large.

multiplications

Suggests growth by a factor greater than two, whereas 'doublings' is limited to a factor of two.

Opposites

Word family

double verb

To make or become twice as much.

doubling noun

The process of becoming twice as large.

doubly adverb

In two ways or to twice the degree.

Commonly confused: doublings or doubling?

Practice

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Write a sentence using “doublings”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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