single

[ sing-guhl ]

/ ˈsɪŋ gəl /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR single ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

only one in number; one only; unique; sole: a single example.

of, relating to, or suitable for one person only: a single room.

solitary or sole; lone: He was the single survivor.

unmarried or not in a romantic relationship: a single man.

pertaining to the unmarried state: the single life.

of or noting a parent who brings up a child or children alone, without a partner.

of one against one, as combat or fight.

consisting of only one part, element, or member: a single lens.

sincere and undivided: single devotion.

separate, particular, or distinct; individual: Every single one of you must do your best. It's the single most important thing.

uniform; applicable to all: a single safety code for all manufacturers.

(of a bed or bedclothes) twin-size.

(of a flower) having only one set of petals.

British. of standard strength or body, as ale, beer, etc. Compare double(def 1).

(of the eye) seeing rightly.

verb (used with object), sin·gled, sin·gling.

to pick or choose (one) from others (usually followed by out): to single out a fact for special mention.

Baseball.

to cause the advance of (a base runner) by a one-base hit.
to cause (a run) to be scored by a one-base hit (often followed by in or home).

verb (used without object), sin·gled, sin·gling.

Baseball. to hit a single.

noun

one person or thing; a single one.

an accommodation suitable for one person only, as a hotel room or a table at a restaurant: to reserve a single.

a ticket for a single seat at a theater.

British.

a one-way ticket.
a steam locomotive having one driving wheel on each side.

singles, people who are unmarried or not in a romantic relationship, especially if relatively young: It's not uncommon for singles to feel lonely on Valentine Day.

Baseball. Also called one-base hit. a base hit that enables a batter to reach first base safely.

singles, (used with a singular verb) a match with one player on each side, as a tennis match.

Golf. twosome(def 4).

Cricket. a hit for which one run is scored.

Informal. a one-dollar bill.

Music.

a phonograph record, CD, or cassette usually having two songs: I probably won't buy the single.
one of the songs recorded on a single: a hit single.
a song released or promoted separately from the rest of the album to which it belongs: A viral video put that single back on the charts.

Often singles. Textiles.

reeled or spun silk that may or may not be thrown.
a one-ply yarn of any fiber that has been drawn and twisted.

VIDEO FOR SINGLE

WATCH NOW: Was "Single" Always A Negative Word?

The word "single" may seem like a lonely word, but does it just get a bad rap?

Origin of single

1275–1325; late Middle English (adj.), Middle English sengle < Old French < Latin singulus individual, single (usually in the plural singuli one apiece), derivative of *sem- one (see simplex)

SYNONYMS FOR single

1 distinct, particular.

3 isolated.

4 unwed.

16 select.

19 individual.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR single ON THESAURUS.COM

OTHER WORDS FROM single

qua·si-sin·gle, adjective qua·si-sin·gly, adverb un·sin·gle, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH single

signal single single singular

Words nearby single

singhalese, singing game, singing hinny, singing telegram, singingfish, single, single blind, single bond, single combat, single cream, single cut

Example sentences from the Web for single

Despite the strong language, however, the neither the JPO nor Lockheed could dispute a single fact in either Daily Beast report.

Pentagon Misfires in Stealth Jet Scandal |Dave Majumdar |January 8, 2015 |DAILY BEAST
It is not a decisive war, with a single, signature victory, but a war of attrition.

Pentagon Doesn’t Know How Many People It’s Killed in the ISIS War |Nancy A. Youssef |January 7, 2015 |DAILY BEAST
A single father, he had been living abroad and returned when his mother was diagnosed with cancer.

Everyone at This Dinner Party Has Lost Someone |Samantha Levine |January 6, 2015 |DAILY BEAST
They stood in a single row, united by solemn respect as the Liu family remained inside.

Funeral Protest Is Too Much for NYPD Union Boss |Michael Daly |January 5, 2015 |DAILY BEAST

In a show about single women, Sex and The City was always in a rush to get to the altar—and with a man there waiting.

Why Singles Should Say ‘I Don’t’ to The Self-Marriage Movement |Tim Teeman |December 30, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
The voice that calls foreign immigrants southward to-day is not single but double.

The Negro in the South |Booker T. Washington
The sun shone brightly on the snow, which was unrelieved by a single dark object.

The Young Treasure Hunter |Frank V. Webster
Better kill a hundred friends, he thought, than be captured by a single pirate.

The Monster Men |Edgar Rice Burroughs
There is no man who has never done a single good act, so every man deserves an infinite reward.

My Path to Atheism |Annie Besant
The truth is that the wanderings of desire have no single drive.

The Secret Places of the Heart |H. G. Wells

British Dictionary definitions for single

single

/ (ˈsɪŋɡəl) /

adjective (usually prenominal)

existing alone; solitary upon the hill stood a single tower

distinct from other things; unique or individual

composed of one part

designed for one user a single room; a single bed

(also postpositive) unmarried

connected with the condition of being unmarried he led a single life

(esp of combat) involving two individuals; one against one

sufficient for one person or thing only a single portion of food

even one there wasn't a single person on the beach

(of a flower) having only one set or whorl of petals

determined; single-minded a single devotion to duty

(of the eye) seeing correctly to consider something with a single eye

rare honest or sincere; genuine

archaic (of ale, beer, etc) mild in strength

noun

something forming one individual unit

an unmarried person

a gramophone record, CD, or cassette with a short recording, usually of pop music, on it

golf a game between two players

cricket a hit from which one run is scored

British a pound note
US and Canadian a dollar note

See single ticket

verb

(tr usually foll by out) to select from a group of people or things; distinguish by separation he singled him out for special mention

(tr) to thin out (seedlings)

short for single-foot

Derived forms of single

singleness, noun

Word Origin for single

C14: from Old French sengle, from Latin singulus individual

Idioms and Phrases with single

single

In addition to the idioms beginning with single

single file, in
single out

also see:

each and every (every single)

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

single

adjective

verb (used with object), sin·gled, sin·gling.

verb (used without object), sin·gled, sin·gling.

noun

VIDEO FOR SINGLE

WATCH NOW: Was "Single" Always A Negative Word?

Origin of single

SYNONYMS FOR single

OTHER WORDS FROM single

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH single

Words nearby single

Example sentences from the Web for single

British Dictionary definitions for single

adjective (usually prenominal)

noun

verb

Derived forms of single

Word Origin for single

Idioms and Phrases with single

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

single

adjective

verb (used with object), sin·gled, sin·gling.

verb (used without object), sin·gled, sin·gling.

noun

VIDEO FOR SINGLE

WATCH NOW: Was "Single" Always A Negative Word?

Origin of single

SYNONYMS FOR single

OTHER WORDS FROM single

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH single

Words nearby single

Content related to single

Words related to single

Example sentences from the Web for single

British Dictionary definitions for single

adjective (usually prenominal)

noun

verb

Derived forms of single

Word Origin for single

Idioms and Phrases with single