double-cross
Meaning
To cheat or betray someone, especially after having promised to help them.
An act of cheating or betraying someone.
Structure
Usage
He felt devastated when his business partner double-crossed him in the deal.
The spy novel revolves around a complex double-cross that leaves no one trustworthy.
They had a plan, but she double-crossed them and took the money for herself.
Etymology
The term 'double-cross' originated in the early 19th century from the argot of prize-fighting and the criminal underworld. Its logic stems from the earlier term 'to cross', meaning to cheat or defraud. The addition of 'double' intensifies the betrayal, implying a second, deeper level of deception where one pretends to be betraying a third party while actually betraying the original confederate. Thus, the literal sense of 'a twofold act of thwarting' evolved into the modern abstract meaning of a complex, premeditated betrayal of trust.
Analysis
- double: From Latin duplus (twofold, double). In this compound, it functions as an intensifier, implying a heightened or more complex form of deceit. - cross: From Latin crux (cross, torture stake). In this compound, it functions metaphorically to mean 'to thwart, to go against, to betray'.