Single ˈsɪŋɡl School Adjective Red Rose Single Sex Boys

• he sent her a single red rose.
• a single-sex school (= for boys only or for girls only)
• all these jobs can now be done by one single machine.
• we won by a single point.

single

1. only one
• He sent her a single red rose.
• a single-sex school (= for boys only or for girls only)
• All these jobs can now be done by one single machine.
• We won by a single point.
• They cloned a lamb from a single cell taken from an adult sheep.
• the European single currency, the euro
• a single honours degree (= for which you study only one subject)
• It was the work of a single individual.
• The statue was carved out of a single piece of wood.
• You can switch between the single player and the multiplayer games.
2. intended to be used by only one person
• COMPARE double
  https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/double_2
• a single room
• The jail housed 860 prisoners in single cells.
• a single sheet (= large enough for a single bed)
3. not married or having a romantic relationship with somebody
• SEE ALSO single parent
  https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/single-parent
• a single person/woman/man
• The apartments are ideal for single people living alone.
• Are you still single?
• She remained single till her death.
• Young people are staying single for longer.
• The film stars Bening as a single mother with a teenage son.
• I'm a single father and take my kids to school every morning.
4. a single ticket, etc. can be used for travelling to a place but not back again
• COMPARE return (7)
  https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/return_2#return_sng_17
• a single ticket
• How much is the single fare to Glasgow?
5. used to emphasize that you are referring to one particular person or thing on its own
• Unemployment is the single most important factor in the growing crime rates.
• We eat rice every single day.
• Every single one of her so-called friends had turned their backs on her.
• I couldn't understand a single word she said!
6. immediately; with only a quick look
• She is able to take in complex information at a single glance.
7. in one single attempt or try
• She blew out the candles in a single go.
8. (in) one line, one behind the other
• They made their way in single file along the cliff path.

Word Origin

• Middle English: via Old French from Latin singulus, related to simplus ‘simple’.