single
2 ENTRIES FOUND:
Britannica Dictionary definition of SINGLE
1
always used before a noun
:
not having or including another
:
only one
— sometimes used to emphasize the largeness or importance of something
— sometimes used in negative statements to emphasize that there is a complete lack of something
-
They lost by a single point. [=they lost by one point]
-
A single shoe was found.
-
It costs $10 for a single glass of wine!
-
a single serving of carrots
-
He earns $2,000 in a single week.
-
There is a single [=uniform] standard for men and women.
-
The fingerprint turned out to be the single most important piece of evidence.
-
Tobacco is the single greatest/largest/biggest industry in the state.
-
Drunk driving is the greatest/largest/biggest single killer of high school students.
-
Not a single cookie was left.
-
Not a single sound was heard.
-
I could not hear a single word of what he said.
-
We didn't get a single reply.
2
:
not married or not having a serious romantic relationship with someone
-
a club for single [=unattached, unmarried] people
-
Are you single?
-
a single parent/mother/father [=a mother or father who takes care of a child alone]
3
— used for emphasis after words like any, each, every, etc.
-
He has more home runs than any other single player. [=than any other player]
-
These laws apply to each single citizen.
-
I drink milk every single day.
-
She can't watch him every single minute.
4
always used before a noun
:
made for one person to use
-
I stayed in a single room.
-
I slept in a single bed. [=(US) twin bed]
5
2
single
/ˈsɪŋgəl/
noun
plural
singles
2
single
/ˈsɪŋgəl/
noun
plural
singles
Britannica Dictionary definition of SINGLE
1
[count]
:
an unmarried person and especially one who is young and socially active
— usually plural
— often used before another noun
-
The party is for singles.
-
a singles bar/club
3
singles
[plural]
:
a game of tennis or a similar sport that is played between two players
-
Do you want to play singles or doubles?
-
a singles match
4
[count]
:
a music recording having one main song and sometimes one or more other songs
-
I bought the single.
also
:
one song from a recording that includes many songs
—
compare album
-
Have you heard the latest single from the album?
-
The song was released as a single before the album came out.
5
[count]
:
a room in a hotel, inn, etc., for one person
—
compare double
-
The hotel has only singles available.
6
[count]
US
:
a one-dollar bill
-
Do you have five singles for this five?
7
[count]
British
:
a one-way ticket
-
A single to Bath, please.
3
single
/ˈsɪŋgəl/
verb
singles;
singled;
singling
3
single
/ˈsɪŋgəl/
verb
singles;
singled;
singling
Britannica Dictionary definition of SINGLE
[no object]
:
to hit a single in baseball
-
He singled to right field.
single out
[phrasal verb]
single out (someone or something)
or
single (someone or something) out
:
to treat or to speak about (someone or something in a group) in a way that is different from the way you treat or speak about others
— often used as (be) singled out
-
The teacher singled him out as the only student to get a perfect score on the test.
-
The coach singled out the players who played poorly.
-
The reviewer singled her performance out for praise/criticism.
-
She was singled out for special treatment.
