double-team
UK[ˌdʌb.əlˈtiːm]US[ˌdʌb.əlˈtiːm]
v
(in sports or other competitive activities) to use two defenders or players to guard or block a single opponent.
v
(by extension) to use two people to apply pressure to or deal with one person or thing.
Morpheme Breakdown
double
team
double
twofold
team
group
Etymology
The term 'double-team' is a transparent compound formed from two native English elements. 'Double' entered English via French, tracing back to the Latin 'duplus,' meaning twofold. 'Team' has a more complex journey, originating from the Old English 'tēam,' which referred to a family or a set of draft animals yoked together, a concept rooted in the Proto-Germanic idea of pulling or drawing. The modern sporting sense of 'team' as a coordinated group emerged in the 16th century. The compound 'double-team' logically combines these ideas: applying a twofold ('double') coordinated effort from a group ('team') against a single target. It first appeared in American football terminology in the late 19th century, describing a defensive tactic where two players guard one offensive player, and its meaning later broadened to any situation where two people jointly confront one.
Analysis
Structure: double (twofold) + team (group)
- double: From Latin duplus (twofold, double), via Old French doble. In this compound, it functions as a modifier meaning "involving two."
- team: From Old English tēam (childbearing, offspring; a group of draft animals), from Proto-Germanic taumaz (that which draws or pulls). In this compound, it functions as the core noun meaning a group acting together.
Examples
The defense decided to double-team the opponent's star player to limit his scoring.
We had to double-team the project to meet the tight deadline.
The interviewers double-teamed the candidate with difficult questions.