single
UK /ˈsɪŋɡl̩/ · US /ˈsɪŋɡəl/ adjective, noun, verb, proper noun
Forms singles singling singled
- adjective Not accompanied by anything else; one in number. “Can you give me a single reason not to leave right now?”
- adjective Not divided in parts. “The potatoes left the spoon and landed in a single big lump on the plate.”
- adjective Designed for the use of only one. “a single room”
- adjective Performed by one person, or one on each side. “a single combat”
- adjective Not married, and (in modern times) not dating or without a significant other. “Forms often ask if a person is single, married, divorced, or widowed. In this context, a person who is dating someone but who has never married puts "single".”
- adjective (botany) Having only one rank or row of petals.
- adjective (obsolete) Simple and honest; sincere, without deceit.
- adjective Uncompounded; pure; unmixed.
- noun (music) A vinyl record with one song on side A and one on side B, usually 7 inches in diameter and played at 45 RPM.
- noun (music) A popular song released and sold (on any format) nominally on its own though usually having at least one extra track. “The Offspring released four singles from their most recent album.”
- noun One who is not married or does not have a romantic partner. “He went to the party, hoping to meet some friendly singles there.”
- noun (cricket) A score of one run. “He refused to take a single as the ball was dropped by his opponent's best fielder.”
- noun (baseball) A hit in baseball where the batter advances to first base.
- noun (dominoes) A tile that has a different value (i.e. number of pips) at each end.
- noun (US, informal) A bill valued at $1. “I don't have any singles, so you'll have to make change.”
- noun (UK) A one-way ticket.
- verb (baseball) To get a hit that advances the batter exactly one base. “Pedro singled in the bottom of the eighth inning, which, if converted to a run, would put the team back into contention.”
- verb (agriculture) To thin out.
- verb (of a horse) To take the irregular gait called singlefoot.
- verb (intransitive, archaic) To sequester; to withdraw; to retire.
Synonyms
lone sole solitary unbroken undivided uniform unmarried unpartnered available rouge single-driver bingle one 1 I ace unity individual exclusive
Antonyms
Etymology
From Middle English single, sengle, from Old French sengle, saingle, sangle, from Latin singulus, a diminutive derived from Proto-Indo-European *sem- (“one”). Akin to Latin simplex (“simple”). See simple, and compare singular.
From Old English sengel (“brushwood; burnt clearing”), a topographic surname for someone who lived by a brushwood.
Webster’s 1913
- adjective One only, as distinguished from more than one; consisting of one alone; individual; separate; as, a single star.
- adjective Alone; having no companion.
- verb To select, as an individual person or thing, from among a number; to choose out from others; to separate.
- verb To sequester; to withdraw; to retire. [Obs.]
Etymology [L. singulus, a dim. from the root in simplex simple; cf. OE. & OF. sengle, fr. L. singulus. See Simple, and cf. Singular.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “single”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details