double take

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

ˈdou•ble ˈtake, n. [countable]

1. a surprised delayed response, as by taking a second look, in reaction to a person not recognized the first time.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

dou′ble take′, 

1. 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.

• 1935–40, American.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

double take noun

1. (esp in comedy) a delayed reaction by a person to a remark, situation, etc