one

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   being a single entity made by combining separate components

   three chemicals combining into one solution

2. 2
   noun

   a single person or thing

   They are the best one.

3. 3
   noun

   the smallest whole number or a numeral representing this number

   I have the one guitar but I need a second and a third to go with it.

4. 4
   num

   The number represented by the Arabic numeral 1; the numerical value equal to that cardinal number.

   In some religions, there is more than one god.

5. 5
   pron

   One thing (among a group of others); one member of a group.

   Any one of the boys.

6. 6
   pron

   The first mentioned of two things or people, as opposed to the other.

   She offered him an apple and an orange; he took (the) one and left the other.

7. 7
   pron

   Any person (applying to people in general).

   One’s guilt may trouble one, but it is best not to let oneself be troubled by things which cannot be changed.  One shouldn’t be too quick to judge.

8. 8
   pron

   Any person, entity or thing.

   "driver", noun: one who drives.

Etymology

PIE word *h₁óynos From Middle English oon, on, oan, an, from Old English ān (“one”), from Proto-West Germanic *ain, from Proto-Germanic *ainaz (“one”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁óynos (“single, one”). Doublet of an. Cognate with Scots ae, ane, wan, yin (“one”); North Frisian ån (“one”); Saterland Frisian aan (“one”); West Frisian ien (“one”); Dutch een, één (“one”); German Low German een; German ein, eins (“one”); Danish en (“one”); Swedish en (“one”); Norwegian Nynorsk ein (“one”), Icelandic einn (“one”); Latin ūnus (“one”) (Old Latin oinos); Russian оди́н (odín), Spanish uno. Doublet of a…