Quadruple

Quadruple

Adjective / Verb / Noun · /ˈkwɒdrʊpəl/ · four times as great; to multiply by four

Definition

Quadruple means four times as much, four times as many, or consisting of four parts. As a verb, to quadruple means to multiply something by four or to become four times as large. As a noun, a quadruple is a group or set of four identical things. The word is used across everyday life — business reports speak of profits quadrupling, sports commentators talk about a quadruple win, and baristas know exactly what a quadruple espresso means.

Origin

From Latin quadruplus — fourfold — formed from quadru- (four) and -plus (fold, as in manifold). The word entered English in the 16th century directly from Latin and French. The same root gives us quadruplet — one of four children born together — and the mathematical prefix quadr- seen in quadratic, quadrant, and quadrilateral. The Latin quadru- traces back to the Proto-Indo-European root for four.