single
adj usually prenominal
1 existing alone; solitary
upon the hill stood a single tower
2 distinct from other things; unique or individual
4 designed for one user
a single room, a single bed
5 also postpositive unmarried
6 connected with the condition of being unmarried
he led a single life
7 (esp. of combat) involving two individuals; one against one
8 sufficient for one person or thing only
a single portion of food
9 even one
there wasn't a single person on the beach
10 (of a flower) having only one set or whorl of petals
11 determined; single-minded
a single devotion to duty
12 (of the eye) seeing correctly
to consider something with a single eye
13 Rare honest or sincere; genuine
14 Archaic (of ale, beer, etc.) mild in strength
n
15 something forming one individual unit
17 a gramophone record, CD, or cassette with a short recording, usually of pop music, on it
18 (Golf) a game between two players
19 (Cricket) a hit from which one run is scored
b (U.S. and Canadian) a dollar note
21 See →
single ticket
vb
22 tr; usually foll by: out to select from a group of people or things; distinguish by separation
he singled him out for special mention
23 tr to thin out (seedlings)
24 short for →
single-foot (See also)
→
singles (C14: from Old French sengle, from Latin singulus individual) ♦
singleness n
single-acting
adj (of a reciprocating engine or pump) having a piston or pistons that are pressurized on one side only
Compare →
double-acting →
1
single-action
n modifier (of a firearm) requiring the hammer to be cocked by hand before firing
single-blind
adj of or relating to an experiment, esp. one to discover people's reactions to certain commodities, drugs, etc., in which the experimenters but not the subjects know the particulars of the test items during the experiment
Compare →
double-blind
single bond
n (Chem) a covalent bond formed between two atoms by the sharing of one pair of electrons
single-breasted
adj (of a garment) having the fronts overlapping only slightly and with one row of fastenings
single-cell protein
n protein that is produced by micro-organisms fermenting in liquid or gaseous petroleum fractions or other organic substances: used as a food supplement, (Abbrev.)
SCP
single cream
n cream having a low fat content that does not thicken with beating
single-cross
n (Genetics) a hybrid of the first generation between two inbred lines
single-cut file
n a file with teeth in one direction only: used for filing soft material
single-decker
n (Brit)
informal a bus with only one passenger deck
single density
n (Computing) a disk with the normal capacity for storage
single-end
n (Scot)
dialect accommodation consisting of a single room
single-ended
adj (Electronics) (of an amplifier) having one side of the input and one side of the output connected to earth: used for an unbalanced signal
single entry
n
a a simple book-keeping system in which transactions are entered in one account only
Compare →
double entry
b (as modifier)
a single-entry account
single file
n a line of persons, animals, or things ranged one behind the other, either stationary or moving
single-foot
n
1 a rapid showy gait of a horse in which each foot strikes the ground separately, as in a walk
vb
2 to move or cause to move at this gait
single-handed
adj
adv
1 unaided or working alone
a single-handed crossing of the Atlantic
2 having or operated by one hand or one person only
♦
single-handedly adv
♦
single-handedness n
single-lens reflex
n See →
reflex camera
single market
n a market consisting of a number of nations, esp. those of the European Union, in which goods, capital, and currencies can move freely across borders without tariffs or restrictions
single-minded
adj having but one aim or purpose; dedicated
♦
single-mindedly adv
♦
single-mindedness n
single parent
n
a a person who has a dependent child or dependent children and who is widowed, divorced, or unmarried
b (as modifier)
a single-parent family (Also called (N.Z.))
solo parent
single-phase
adj (of a system, circuit, or device) having, generating, or using a single alternating voltage
single-sex
adj (of schools, etc.) admitting members of one sex only; not coeducational
single sideband transmission
n a method of transmitting radio waves in which either the upper or the lower sideband is transmitted, the carrier being either wholly or partially suppressed. This reduces the required bandwidth and improves the signal-to-noise ratio, (Abbrev.)
SSB
single-space
vb tr to type (copy) without leaving a space between the lines
single-step
vb , -steps, -stepping, -stepped tr (Computing) to perform a single instruction on (a program), generally under the control of a debug program
single tax
n (U.S.)
1 a taxation system in which a tax on one commodity, usually land, is the only source of revenue
single thread
n (Computing) the execution of an entire task from beginning to end without interruption
single ticket
n (Brit) a ticket entitling a passenger to travel only to his destination, without returning, (U.S. and Canadian equivalent)
one-way ticket Compare →
return ticket
single-tongue
vb (Music) to play (any nonlegato passage) on a wind instrument by obstructing and uncovering the air passage through the lips with the tongue
Compare →
double-tongue →
triple-tongue
♦
single tonguing n
single-track
adj
1 (of a railway) having only a single pair of lines, so that trains can travel in only one direction at a time
2 (of a road) only wide enough for one vehicle
3 able to think about only one thing; one-track
Single Transferable Vote
n modifier of or relating to a system of voting in which voters list the candidates in order of preference. Any candidate achieving a predetermined proportion of the votes in a constituency is elected. Votes exceeding this amount and those cast for the bottom candidate are redistributed according to the stated preferences. Redistribution continues until all the seats are filled, (Abbrev.)
STV See →
proportional representation