1
a
: not married
b
: of or relating to celibacy
3
a(1)
: consisting of or having only one part, feature, or portion
single consonants
(2)
: consisting of one as opposed to or in contrast with many : uniform
a single standard for men and women
(3)
: consisting of only one in number
holds to a single ideal
b
: having but one whorl of petals or ray flowers
a single rose
4
a
: consisting of a separate unique whole : individual
every single citizen
b
: of, relating to, or involving only one person
7
: having no equal or like : singular
8
: designed for the use of one person only
a single room
a single bed
1
a
: a separate individual person or thing
b
: an unmarried person and especially one young and socially active
—usually plural
c(1)
: a recording having one short tune on each side
(2)
: a music recording having two or more tracks that is shorter than a full-length album
also
: a song that is particularly popular independent of other songs on the same album or by the same artist
2
: a base hit that allows the batter to reach first base
3
a
singles plural
: a tennis match or similar game with one player on each side
b
: a golf match between two players
—usually plural
4
: a room (as in a hotel) for one guest compare double sense 7
singled; singling
ˈsiŋ-g(ə-)liŋ
1
: to select or distinguish from a number or group
—usually used with out
2
a
: to advance or score (a base runner) by a single
b
: to bring about the scoring of (a run) by a single
: to make a single in baseball
Cite this Entry
“Single.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/single. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.
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