double-cross
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See also: doublecross
English
Etymology
First recorded in 1834 from thieves' slang cross (or on the cross) to refer to something dishonest, a play on straight/square: a crook going back on his partners would therefore be crossing the crossers, or double-crossing.
Verb
double-cross (third-person singular simple present double-crosses, present participle double-crossing, simple past and past participle double-crossed)
- To betray or go back on; to deceive someone after having gained their trust and led them to believe that they were being aided.
- If you double-cross us, we'll track you down and kill you.
- (plant breeding, animal 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.
Derived terms
Translations
to betray or go back on
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Noun
double-cross (plural double-crosses)
- An instance of betrayal of one who had been led to believe that the betrayer was assisting them.
- (plant breeding, animal breeding) The hybrid product of double-crossing.
References
- Michael Quinion (2004) “Double-cross”, in Ballyhoo, Buckaroo, and Spuds: Ingenious Tales of Words and Their Origins, Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Books in association with Penguin Books, →ISBN.