single

[sing-guh l] /ˈsɪŋ gəl/
adjective
1.
only one in number; one only; unique; sole:
a single example.
2.
of, pertaining to, or suitable for one person only:
a single room.
3.
solitary or sole; lone:
He was the single survivor.
4.
unmarried:
a single man.
5.
pertaining to the unmarried state:
the single life.
6.
of one against one, as combat or fight.
7.
consisting of only one part, element, or member:
a single lens.
8.
sincere and undivided:
single devotion.
9.
separate, particular, or distinct; individual:
Every single one of you must do your best. It's the single most important thing.
10.
uniform; applicable to all:
a single safety code for all manufacturers.
11.
(of a bed or bedclothes) twin-size.
12.
(of a flower) having only one set of petals.
13.
British. of standard strength or body, as ale, beer, etc.
Compare double (def 1).
14.
(of the eye) seeing rightly.
verb (used with object), singled, singling.
15.
to pick or choose (one) from others (usually followed by out):
to single out a fact for special mention.
16.
Baseball.
  1. to cause the advance of (a base runner) by a one-base hit.
  2. to cause (a run) to be scored by a one-base hit (often followed by in or home).
verb (used without object), singled, singling.
17.
Baseball. to hit a single.
noun
18.
one person or thing; a single one.
19.
an accommodation suitable for one person only, as a hotel room or a table at a restaurant:
to reserve a single.
20.
a ticket for a single seat at a theater.
21.
British.
  1. a one-way ticket.
  2. a steam locomotive having one driving wheel on each side.
22.
an unmarried person, especially one who is relatively young.
23.
Baseball.. Also called one-base hit. a base hit that enables a batter to reach first base safely.
24.
singles, (used with a singular verb) a match with one player on each side, as a tennis match.
25.
Golf. twosome (def 4).
26.
Cricket. a hit for which one run is scored.
27.
Informal. a one-dollar bill.
28.
a phonograph record, CD, or cassette usually having two songs.
29.
one of the songs recorded on a single.
30.
Often, singles. Textiles.
  1. reeled or spun silk that may or may not be thrown.
  2. a one-ply yarn of any fiber that has been drawn and twisted.
Origin
1275-1325; late Middle English (adj.), Middle English sengle < Old French < Latin singulus individual, single, (plural) one apiece, derivative of *sem- one (see simplex)
Related forms
quasi-single, adjective
quasi-gly, adverb
unsingle, adjective
Can be confused
signal, single.
single, singular.
Synonyms
1. distinct, particular. 3. isolated. 4. unwed. 15. select. 18. individual.
Examples from the web for single
  • The sobering truth about the single currency is that getting in is a lot easier than getting out again.
  • The diverse and deadly array of venomous snakes living today all arose from a single fanged ancestor, a new study suggests.
  • The entire factory operated off a single shaft that ran the length of the rickety, old wooden building.
  • Red-and-white single flowers are backed by carmine-red petals.
  • Most universities limit the number of courses a single candidate can teach in order to protect the full-time cohort.
  • Only a few hundred people were accused, an only in a single year.
  • Available as single colors or mixes, in single or add to my plant list.
  • Researchers showed the first functional transistor made from a single molecule.
  • We are all losing-even those of us who stayed at a single college and never had to face the rejection of completed course work.
  • There will be no way to pay for health care without moving to a universal single payer without fee-for-service.
British Dictionary definitions for single

single

/ˈsɪŋɡəl/
adjective (usually prenominal)
1.
existing alone; solitary: upon the hill stood a single tower
2.
distinct from other things; unique or individual
3.
composed of one part
4.
designed for one user: a single room, a single bed
5.
(also postpositive) unmarried
6.
connected with the condition of being unmarried: he led a single life
7.
(esp of combat) involving two individuals; one against one
8.
sufficient for one person or thing only: a single portion of food
9.
even one: there wasn't a single person on the beach
10.
(of a flower) having only one set or whorl of petals
11.
determined; single-minded: a single devotion to duty
12.
(of the eye) seeing correctly: to consider something with a single eye
13.
(rare) honest or sincere; genuine
14.
(archaic) (of ale, beer, etc) mild in strength
noun
15.
something forming one individual unit
16.
an unmarried person
17.
a gramophone record, CD, or cassette with a short recording, usually of pop music, on it
18.
(golf) a game between two players
19.
(cricket) a hit from which one run is scored
20.
  1. (Brit) a pound note
  2. (US & Canadian) a dollar note
21.
See single ticket
verb
22.
(transitive) usually foll by out. to select from a group of people or things; distinguish by separation: he singled him out for special mention
23.
(transitive) to thin out (seedlings)
24.
short for single-foot
See also singles
Derived Forms
singleness, noun
Word Origin
C14: from Old French sengle, from Latin singulus individual
Word Origin and History for single
adj.

early 14c., "unmarried," from Old French sengle, sangle "alone, unaccompanied; simple, unadorned," from Latin singulus "one, one to each, individual, separate" (usually in plural singuli "one by one"), from sim- (stem of simplus; see simple) + diminutive suffix. Meaning "consisting of one unit, individual, unaccompanied by others" is from late 14c. Meaning "undivided" is from 1580s. Single-parent (adj.) is attested from 1966.

n.

c.1400, "unmarried person," mid-15c., "a person alone, an individual," from single (adj.). Given various technical meanings from 16c. Sports sense is attested from 1851 (cricket), 1858 (baseball). Of single things from 1640s. Meaning "one-dollar bill" is from 1936. Meaning "phonograph record with one song on each side" is from 1949. Meaning "unmarried swinger" is from 1964; singles bar attested from 1969. An earlier modern word for "unmarried or unattached person" is singleton (1937).

v.

"to separate from the herd" (originally in deer-hunting, often with forth or out), 1570s, from single (adj.). Baseball sense of "to make a one-base hit" is from 1899 (from the noun meaning "one-base hit," attested from 1858). Related: Singled; singling.

Slang definitions & phrases for single

single

noun
  1. A dollar bill (1936+)
  2. A person, esp a criminal, who works alone: Dillinger now becomes a single (1940s+ Underworld)
  3. A solo performer; a one-person act (1940s+ Show business)
  4. An unmarried person: The place tried to attract singles (1964+)
  5. A phonograph record having only one piece of music on each side: The single sold about three million (1949+)
Related Terms

swinging single


Idioms and Phrases with single

single

also see:
each and every (every single)