doubletree

1 9.9

A bar across the front of a wagon that holds the harness for two horses side by side

noun
/ˈdʌbəlˌtri/

Archaic

: doble árbol

That said, yesterday I dropped in at the Doubletree Hotel to hear Art Pope's remarks at a Civitas Institute luncheon. $15 at the door, which I was prepared to pay, though I was also ready to skip the lunch in my role as the hungry reporter.

Examples

They carefully checked the doubletree to ensure it could support the weight of the carriage.
The farmer attached the harness to the doubletree to guide his horses during the plowing.
The DoubleTree, room 803.

Pound of Flesh (2015)
Our friend, Jessica, over at the Pittsburgh Film Office wants us to let everyone know that if you want to be an extra in the movie Foxcatcher, show up at the DoubleTree Hotel Pittsburgh-Green Tree Saturday, October 13th from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Blog text (13)
After fixing the broken doubletree, the wagon was ready for another journey through the fields.

Synonyms

whippletree

vsdoubletree

Specialized

9.9

A bar that pivots in the middle to spread a horse's pull across a wagon

connects two smaller bars to attach a pair of animals side by side

Surface Forms

doubletree singular

doubletrees plural

Morphology

doubletree = double + tree (opaque) = double + tree

Although formed from the familiar words 'double' and 'tree', the meaning uses 'tree' in a specialized harness sense (a wooden crossbar), so learners cannot derive the sense from the common meanings.

Etymology

The word doubletree comes from double ('two') and tree, which here means a 'wooden bar' or crosspiece used in a harness. So a doubletree is the bar that joins two horses side by side, which is why it means the crossbar used to harness a pair of horses.