single

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single^¹

/ˈsɪŋɡl̩/ UK
/ˈsɪŋɡəl/ US

Sounds like cingle · Rhymes with -ɪŋɡəl

Where it comes from

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.

adjective

not comparable Not accompanied by anything else; one in number. Can you give me a single reason not to leave right now?
Similar: lone, sole, solitary
not comparable Not divided in parts. The potatoes left the spoon and landed in a single big lump on the plate.
Similar: unbroken, undivided, uniform
not comparable Designed for the use of only one. a single room
not comparable Performed by one person, or one on each side. a single combat
not comparable 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".
Similar: unmarried, unpartnered, available
not comparable Having only one rank or row of petals.
not comparable, obsolete Simple and honest; sincere, without deceit. Therefore, when thyne eye is single: then is all thy boddy full off light. Butt if thyne eye be evyll: then shall all thy body be full of darknes?
not comparable Uncompounded; pure; unmixed. simple ideas are opposed to complex , and single ideas to compound.
not comparable, obsolete Simple; foolish; weak; silly. He utters such single matter in so infantly a voice.

noun singles

A vinyl record with one song on side A and one on side B, usually 7 inches in diameter and played at 45 RPM.
Opposite: album
A popular song released and sold (on any format) nominally on its own though usually having at least one extra track. The Offspring released four singles from their most recent album.
One who is not married or does not have a romantic partner. He went to the party, hoping to meet some friendly singles there.
Opposite: married
A score of one run. He refused to take a single as the ball was dropped by his opponent's best fielder.
A hit in baseball where the batter advances to first base.
A tile that has a different value (i.e. number of pips) at each end.
US, informal A bill valued at $1. I don't have any singles, so you'll have to make change.
UK A one-way ticket. ‘I want to know, Mr Stone, if, in the course of the day, you have issued any tickets to a person dressed in Arab costume?’ His reply was prompt. ‘I have — by the last train, the 7.25, — three singles.’
Canadian A score of one point, awarded when a kicked ball is dead within the non-kicking team's end zone or has exited that end zone.
Similar: rouge
in plural A game with one player on each side, as in tennis. After tea, Mrs. Inglethorp went to lie down to rest before her efforts in the evening and I challenged Mary Cavendish to a single at tennis.
One of the reeled filaments of silk, twisted without doubling to give them firmness.
Scotland, UK, dialectal A handful of gleaned grain.
A floating-point number having half the precision of a double-precision value. If you want to be a scientist or an engineer, learn to say “no” to singles and floats.
A shot of only one character. But if the same scene is shot in singles (or “over-the-shoulder” shots where one of the actors is only a lumpy shoulder in the foreground), the editor and the director can almost redirect the scene on film.
A single cigarette.
obsolete Synonym of single-driver. A few such examples have been preserved, as is well known, such as one of the Stirling 8-ft. singles of the late Great Northern Railway, the Great Western 4-4-0 City of Truro, ex-Caledonian single-driver No. 123, the Brighton 0-4-2 Gladstone, and others.
Similar: single-driver

verb singles · singling · singled

To get a hit that advances the batter exactly one base. Pedro singled in the bottom of the eighth inning, which, if converted to a run, would put the team back into contention.
To thin out. Paul went joyfully, and spent the afternoon helping to hoe or to single turnips with his friend.
of a horse To take the irregular gait called singlefoot. Many very fleet horses, when overdriven, adopt a disagreeable gait, which seems to be a cross between a pace and a trot, in which the two legs of one side are raised almost but not quite, simultaneously. Such horses are said to single, or to be single-footed.
archaic, intransitive To sequester; to withdraw; to retire. an agent singling itself from consorts
archaic, intransitive To take alone, or one by one; to single out. men […] commendable when they are singled
transitive To reduce (a railway) to single track. In the east of Yorkshire, Mr. A. M. Ross reports the belief of local railwaymen that the N.E.R. plans to single the York-Beverley line, leaving an adequate provision of passing loops, and to operate it by C.T.C. from York; […]

Single^²

Where it comes from

From Old English sengel (“brushwood; burnt clearing”), a topographic surname for someone who lived by a brushwood.

proper noun Singles

A surname from Old English.

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: only, lone, individual, sole, lonesome, solitary, unvarying, unique, sui generis, exclusive, singular, separate, unmarried, mateless, unwedded, unwed

Translations

Every language

adj not accompanied by anything else

Español	solo, único, señero
日本語	一倍 ichibai, 一重 hitoe
中文	單 /单 dān, 單獨 /单独 dāndú
हिन्दी	अकेला akelā
Português	único, particular, solitário
Français	seul
Deutsch	einzeln, einzig, allein
Italiano	singolo, solo
Română	singur
Русский	оди́н odín, одна́ odná, еди́нственный jedínstvennyj
العربية	أَحَادِيّ ʔaḥādiyy
עברית	יָחִיד yaḥíd

adj not divided in parts

Español	solo
日本語	単独 tandoku
हिन्दी	वाहिद vāhid
Português	inteiro, unitário
Deutsch	einzig, einheitlich, vereint, gemeinsam
Italiano	intero, unico
Română	unit, unitar, întreg, nedivizat, neîmpărțit
Русский	еди́ный jedínyj, це́лый célyj
العربية	وَاحِد wāḥid

adj designed for the use of only one

Português	particular
Deutsch	einzel
Italiano	singolo
Ελληνικά	μονόκλινο monóklino
Română	separat, individual, singular, porționat
Русский	одина́рный odinárnyj, для одного́ dlja odnovó

adj not married nor dating

Español	soltero
日本語	独身 dokushin, 未婚 mikon, 独り hitori
中文	獨身 /独身 dúshēn, 單身 /单身 dānshēn, 未婚 wèihūn
हिन्दी	अविवाहित avivāhit
Português	solteiro
Français	célibataire
Deutsch	ledig, unverheiratet, alleinstehend, single, solo
Italiano	single, (donna) nubile, (uomo) celibe, scapolo, solo
Ελληνικά	ανύπαντρος anýpantros
Română	celibatar, necăsătorit, burlac
Русский	нежена́тый neženátyj, холосто́й xolostój, незаму́жняя nezamúžnjaja, одино́кий odinókij
Tiếng Việt	độc thân
العربية	أَعْزَب ʔaʕzab, غَيْر مُتَزَوِّج ḡayr mutazawwij
עברית	רַוָּק raváq, פָּנוּי panúy

noun 45 RPM vinyl record

Español	sencillo
한국어	싱글 singgeul
日本語	シングル shinguru
中文	單曲 /单曲 dānqū
Português	single
Deutsch	Single
Русский	сингл singl

noun popular song

Español	sencillo
한국어	싱글 singgeul
日本語	シングル shinguru
中文	單曲 /单曲 dānqū
Português	single
Français	single, simple
Deutsch	Single, Singleauskopplung
Italiano	singolo
Русский	сингл singl
Tiếng Việt	đĩa đơn
العربية	إصدار منفرد ʔiṣdār munfarid, أغنية منفردة ʔuḡniya munfarida, سنقل sanqul

noun one who is not married

Español	soltero, soltera
한국어	독신 doksin, 독신자 doksinja
日本語	独身 dokushin
中文	獨身者 /独身者 dúshēnzhě
हिन्दी	सिंगल siṅgal, अविवाहित avivāhit
Português	solteira, solteiro
Français	célibataire
Deutsch	Alleinstehender, Alleinstehende, Solomann, Solofrau, Junggeselle, Junggesellin
Italiano	celibe, nubile
Русский	холостя́к xolostják, незаму́жняя же́нщина nezamúžnjaja žénščina, одино́чка odinóčka
العربية	عَزَب ʕazab

noun baseball: hit

한국어	단타 danta, 1루타 illuta
日本語	単打 tanda
中文	單打 /单打 dāndǎ
Français	simple

noun bill valued at $1

Deutsch	Einer

Talk about this word

Cite this

MLA

"single." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/single. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

single. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/single

Chicago

"single." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/single.

BibTeX

@misc{single_2026,
  title = {single},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/single},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}

single

AI In plain words

single¹

Where it comes from

adjective

noun singles

verb singles · singling · singled

Single²

Where it comes from

proper noun Singles

Thesaurus

Translations

adj not accompanied by anything else

adj not divided in parts

adj designed for the use of only one

adj not married nor dating

noun 45 RPM vinyl record

noun popular song

noun one who is not married

noun baseball: hit

noun bill valued at $1

single^¹

Single^²