Crossword Dictionary

What's The Definition Of Single?

\Sin"gle\, a. [L. singulus, a dim. from the root in simplex simple; cf. OE. & OF. sengle, fr. L. singulus. See {Simple}, and cf. {Singular}.] 1. One only, as distinguished from more than one; consisting of one alone; individual; separate; as, a single star. No single man is born with a right of controlling the opinions of all the rest. --Pope. 2. Alone; having no companion. Who single hast maintained, Against revolted multitudes, the cause Of truth. --Milton. 3. Hence, unmarried; as, a single man or woman. Grows, lives, and dies in single blessedness. --Shak. Single chose to live, and shunned to wed. --Dryden. 4. Not doubled, twisted together, or combined with others; as, a single thread; a single strand of a rope. 5. Performed by one person, or one on each side; as, a single combat. These shifts refuted, answer thy appellant, . . . Who now defles thee thrice ti single fight. --Milton. 6. Uncompounded; pure; unmixed. Simple ideas are opposed to complex, and single to compound. --I. Watts. 7. Not deceitful or artful; honest; sincere. I speak it with a single heart. --Shak. 8. Simple; not wise; weak; silly. [Obs.] He utters such single matter in so infantly a voice. --Beau. & Fl. {Single ale}, {beer}, or {drink}, small ale, etc., as contrasted with double ale, etc., which is stronger. [Obs.] --Nares. {Single bill} (Law), a written engagement, generally under seal, for the payment of money, without a penalty. --Burril. {Single court} (Lawn Tennis), a court laid out for only two players. {Single-cut file}. See the Note under 4th {File}. {Single entry}. See under {Bookkeeping}. {Single file}. See under 1st {File}. {Single flower} (Bot.), a flower with but one set of petals, as a wild rose. {Single knot}. See Illust. under {Knot}. {Single whip} (Naut.), a single rope running through a fixed block.
\Sin"gle\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Singled}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Singling}.] 1. To select, as an individual person or thing, from among a number; to choose out from others; to separate. Dogs who hereby can single out their master in the dark. --Bacon. His blood! she faintly screamed her mind Still singling one from all mankind. --More. 2. To sequester; to withdraw; to retire. [Obs.] An agent singling itself from consorts. --Hooker. 3. To take alone, or one by one. Men . . . commendable when they are singled. --Hooker.
\Sin"gle\, v. i. To take the irrregular gait called single-foot;- said of a horse. See {Single-foot}. 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. --W. S. Clark.
\Sin"gle\, n. 1. A unit; one; as, to score a single. 2. pl. The reeled filaments of silk, twisted without doubling to give them firmness. 3. A handful of gleaned grain. [Prov. Eng. & Scot.] 4. (Law Tennis) A game with but one player on each side; -- usually in the plural. 5. (Baseball) A hit by a batter which enables him to reach first base only.