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Glite Dictionary
🎼 Music section end 💻 Logical OR symbol
double bar

double bar

5.7
A pair of vertical lines in written music that show the end of a main section or the whole piece
  • noun
  • /ˈdʌbəl bɑr/
  • Specialized
translation icon : doble barra
  • He drew a double bar to indicate the conclusion of the piece.

Examples

  • Please mark the section break with a double bar in your score.

  • The song ended with a double bar at the bottom of the last page.

  • What does a double bar signify in music?

  • The piece ends with a double bar.

  • He drew a double bar to indicate the conclusion of the piece.

  • Please mark the section break with a double bar in your score.

  • The song ended with a double bar at the bottom of the last page.

Surface Forms

double bar singular
double bars plural

Morphology

double + bar

The phrase literally composes 'double' (twofold) with 'bar' (a bar/line), so a learner can derive the idea of two bars (i.e. '||') from the constituents. However, understanding that this specific two-bar sequence functions as the logical OR operator in programming requires domain-specific knowledge not provided by the constituent meanings alone, so the overall meaning is not fully predictable for a B1 learner.

Etymology

Double bar in music comes from the picture of two close vertical lines drawn on the staff to show a clear stop. That's why the mark means the 'end' of a section or the whole piece.