double take

noun
a rapid or surprised second look, either literal or figurative, at a person or situation whose significance had not been completely grasped at first: His friends did a double take when they saw how much weight he had lost.
Origin:
1935–40, Americanism

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
double take
 
—n
(esp in comedy) a delayed reaction by a person to a remark, situation, etc

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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00:10
Double take is always a great word to know.
So is zedonk. Does it mean:
an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle.
the offspring of a zebra and a donkey.
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Slang Dictionary

double take definition


  1. n.
    a surprised second look at something. : Fred did a double take, then recognized Britney.
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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Example sentences
It's a rare event in the art world that can still evoke a double take.
But first there was a definite moment of double take, and then a scramble to confirm that this wasn't some elaborate hoax.
As he walked toward the rehabilitation unit, patients did a double take and reached down to stroke his back.
The double take you did when you realized you were on the air was hilarious.
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