English Explanatory Dictionary

double-cross

English dictionary entry

Meanings

verb

To betray or go back on; to deceive someone after having gained their trust and led them to believe that they were being aided.
Of breeding, to cross twice in hybridization, as (A × B) × (C × D); for example, in commercial hybrid seed corn, A through D are classically inbreds, and their grandoffspring is the seed for sale.

noun

An act or instance of deliberate betrayal or deceit, especially in which one party violates a prior agreement or trust with a collaborator.
Of a breeding, the hybrid product of double-crossing.

Word forms

double-cross double-crosses double-crossing double-crossed

Etymology

First recorded in 1834 from thieves' slang cross (or on the cross) to refer to something dishonest, a play on straight or square: a crook going back on his partners would therefore be crossing the crossers, or double-crossing.

Synonyms

quisle sell out stab in the back assfuck betray burn cop out cross out cross up double-cross do someone dirty do the dirty on false go back on knife let down play someone false renegade sell sell the pass sell down the river sell down swike traitorize turncoat

Derived words

double-crosser

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