single

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   existing alone or consisting of one entity or part or aspect or individual

   upon the hill stood a single tower

2. 2
   adj

   used of flowers having usually only one row or whorl of petals

   single chrysanthemums resemble daisies and may have more than one row of petals

3. 3
   verb

   hit a single

   the batter singled to left field

4. 4
   adj

   Not accompanied by anything else; one in number.

   Can you give me a single reason not to leave right now?

5. 5
   adj

   Not divided in parts.

   The potatoes left the spoon and landed in a single big lump on the plate.

6. 6
   adj

   Designed for the use of only one.

   a single room

7. 7
   adj

   Performed by one person, or one on each side.

   a single combat

8. 8
   adj

   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".

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.