Dictionary
sin•gle
Pronunciation: (sing'gul), [key]
—adj., v., -gled, -gling,
—n.
—
adj.
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. Brit.of standard strength or body, as ale, beer, etc. Cf.
double (def. 1).
14. (of the eye) seeing rightly.
—
v.t.
1. to pick or choose (one) from others (usually fol. by
out):
to single out a fact for special mention.
2. Baseball.
a. to cause the advance of (a base runner) by a one-base hit.
b. to cause (a run) to be scored by a one-base hit (often fol. by
in or
home).
—
v.i.
Baseball.to hit a single.
—
n.
1. one person or thing; a single one.
2. an accommodation suitable for one person only, as a hotel room or a table at a restaurant:
to reserve a single.
3. a ticket for a single seat at a theater.
4. Brit.
a. a one-way ticket.
b. a steam locomotive having one driving wheel on each side.
5. an unmarried person, esp. one who is relatively young.
6. Baseball.Also called
one-base hit. a base hit that enables a batter to reach first base safely.
7. singles, (used with a sing. v.) a match with one player on each side, as a tennis match.
8. Golf.twosome (def. 4).
9. Cricket.a hit for which one run is scored.
10. Informal.a one-dollar bill.
11. a phonograph record usually played at 45 r.p.m. and often having one popular song on each side.
12. the song recorded on one side of a single.
13. Often,
singles. Textiles.
a. reeled or spun silk that may or may not be thrown.
b. a one-ply yarn of any fiber that has been drawn and twisted.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
