Adjacent Words

Singular definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

SIN'GULAR, a. [L. singularis,from singulus, single.]
1. Single; not complex or compound. That idea which represents one determinate thing, is called a singular idea, whether simple, complex or compound.
2. In grammar, expressing one person or thing; as the singular number. The singular number stands opposed to dual and plural.
3. Particular; existing by itself; unexampled; as a singular phenomenon. Your case is hard, but not singular.
4. Remarkable; eminent; unusual; rare; as a man of singular gravity, or singular attainments.
SIN'GULAR, n. A particular instance. [Unusual.]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: unusual or striking; "a remarkable sight"; "such poise is singular in one so young" [syn: remarkable, singular]
2: beyond or deviating from the usual or expected; "a curious hybrid accent"; "her speech has a funny twang"; "they have some funny ideas about war"; "had an odd name"; "the peculiar aromatic odor of cloves"; "something definitely queer about this town"; "what a rum fellow"; "singular behavior" [syn: curious, funny, odd, peculiar, queer, rum, rummy, singular]
3: being a single and separate person or thing; "can the singular person be understood apart from his culture?"; "every fact in the world might be singular...unlike any other fact and sole of its kind"-William James
4: composed of one member, set, or kind [ant: plural]
5: grammatical number category referring to a single item or unit [ant: plural]
6: the single one of its kind; "a singular example"; "the unique existing example of Donne's handwriting"; "a unique copy of an ancient manuscript"; "certain types of problems have unique solutions" [syn: singular, unique] n
1: the form of a word that is used to denote a singleton [syn: singular, singular form] [ant: plural, plural form]

Merriam Webster's

I. adjective Etymology: Middle English singuler, from Anglo-French, from Latin singularis, from singulus only one — more at single Date: 14th century 1. a. of or relating to a separate person or thing ; individual b. of, relating to, or being a word form denoting one person, thing, or instance <a singular noun> c. of or relating to a single instance or to something considered by itself 2. distinguished by superiority ; exceptional <an artist of singular attainments> 3. being out of the ordinary ; unusual <on the way home we had a singular adventure> 4. departing from general usage or expectation ; peculiar, odd <the air had a singular chill> 5. a. of a matrix having a determinant equal to zero b. of a linear transformation having the property that the matrix of coefficients of the new variables has a determinant equal to zero Synonyms: see strange • singularly adverb II. noun Date: 14th century 1. the singular number, the inflectional form denoting it, or a word in that form 2. a singular term

Oxford Reference Dictionary

adj. & n. --adj. 1 unique; much beyond the average; extraordinary. 2 eccentric or strange. 3 Gram. (of a word or form) denoting or referring to a single person or thing. 4 Math. possessing unique properties. 5 single, individual. --n. Gram. 1 a singular word or form. 2 the singular number. Derivatives: singularly adv. Etymology: ME f. OF singuler f. L singularis (as SINGLE)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Singular Sin"gu*lar, a. [OE. singuler, F. singulier, fr. L. singularius, singularis, fr. singulus single. See Single, a.] 1. Separate or apart from others; single; distinct. [Obs.] --Bacon. And God forbid that all a company Should rue a singular man's folly. --Chaucer. 2. Engaged in by only one on a side; single. [Obs.] To try the matter thus together in a singular combat. --Holinshed. 3. (Logic) Existing by itself; single; individual. The idea which represents one . . . determinate thing, is called a singular idea, whether simple, complex, or compound. --I. Watts. 4. (Law) Each; individual; as, to convey several parcels of land, all and singular. 5. (Gram.) Denoting one person or thing; as, the singular number; -- opposed to dual and plural. 6. Standing by itself; out of the ordinary course; unusual; uncommon; strange; as, a singular phenomenon. So singular a sadness Must have a cause as strange as the effect. --Denham. 7. Distinguished as existing in a very high degree; rarely equaled; eminent; extraordinary; exceptional; as, a man of singular gravity or attainments. 8. Departing from general usage or expectations; odd; whimsical; -- often implying disapproval or consure. His zeal None seconded, as out of season judged, Or singular and rash. --Milton. To be singular in anything that is wise and worthy, is not a disparagement, but a praise. --Tillotson. 9. Being alone; belonging to, or being, that of which there is but one; unique. These busts of the emperors and empresses are all very scarce, and some of them almost singular in their kind. --Addison. Singular point in a curve (Math.), a point at which the curve possesses some peculiar properties not possessed by other points of the curve, as a cusp point, or a multiple point. Singular proposition (Logic), a proposition having as its subject a singular term, or a common term limited to an individual by means of a singular sign. --Whately. Singular succession (Civil Law), division among individual successors, as distinguished from universal succession, by which an estate descended in intestacy to the heirs in mass. Singular term (Logic), a term which represents or stands for a single individual. Syn: Unexampled; unprecedented; eminent; extraordinary; remarkable; uncommon; rare; unusual; peculiar; strange; odd; eccentric; fantastic.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Singular Sin"gu*lar, n. 1. An individual instance; a particular. [Obs.] --Dr. H. More. 2. (Gram) The singular number, or the number denoting one person or thing; a word in the singular number.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

1. The singular form of a word is the form that is used when referring to one person or thing. ...the fifteen case endings of the singular form of the Finnish noun... The word 'you' can be singular or plural. ? plural ADJ 2. The singular of a noun is the form of it that is used to refer to one person or thing. The singular of Inuit is Inuk. ? plural N-SING: the N 3. Singular means very great and remarkable. (FORMAL) ...a smile of singular sweetness... ADJ: ADJ n • singularly It seemed a singularly ill-judged enterprise for Truman to undertake. ADV: ADV adj/adv 4. If you describe someone or something as singular, you mean that they are strange or unusual. (OLD-FASHIONED) Cardinal Meschia was without doubt a singular character... Where he got that singular notion I just can't think. = peculiar ADJ: usu ADJ n • singularity ...his abrupt, turbulent style and the singularity of his appearance. = peculiarity

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

sin'-gu-lar: "Pertaining to the single person," "individual," and so sometimes "unusual," "remarkable." So The Wisdom of Solomon 14:18, the King James Version "the singular diligence of the artificer" (philotimia, "love of honor," the Revised Version (British and American) "ambition"). In Le 27:2 by "when a man shall make a singular vow" the King James Version seems to have understood a "personal" or "private" vow. the Revised Version (British and American) has "accomplish a vow," with margin "make a special vow." Compare the same phrase (yaphli' (yephalle') nedher) used of the Nazirite vow in Nu 6:2.

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

a. 1. Single, individual. 2. Single, uncompounded, not complex. 3. Unusual, uncommon, rare, unwonted, strange, extraordinary, remarkable, peculiar. 4. Particular, peculiar, exceptional, unexampled, unparalleled, remarkable, unprecedented, unaccountable, strange. 5. Remarkable, eminent, unusual, rare, extraordinary, exceptional. 6. Unique. 7. Peculiar, odd, eccentric, queer, fantastic, bizarre.

Moby Thesaurus

a certain, abnormal, absolute, absurd, alone, an, anomalous, any, any one, appropriate, atomic, atypical, azygous, bizarre, celibate, certain, characteristic, concrete, conspicuous, crank, crankish, cranky, crotchety, curious, defined, definite, detailed, determinate, deviant, deviative, different, discrete, distinct, distinctive, distinguished, divergent, dotty, dual, eccentric, either, eminent, erratic, esoteric, especial, exceptional, exclusive, express, extraordinary, fey, first and last, fixed, flaky, freaked out, freakish, freaky, funny, idiocratic, idiosyncratic, impair, important, in character, individual, indivisible, inner, integral, intimate, intrinsic, irreducible, irregular, isolated, kinky, kooky, lone, maggoty, marked, minute, monadic, monistic, notable, noteworthy, number, nutty, odd, oddball, off, off the wall, offbeat, one, one and only, only, only-begotten, out, outlandish, outre, outstanding, particular, passing strange, peculiar, personal, plural, precise, private, prominent, proper, quaint, queer, quintessential, quirky, rare, remarkable, respective, screwball, screwy, separate, several, signal, significant, simple, single, sole, solid, solipsistic, solitary, solo, special, specific, strange, superior, trial, true to form, twisted, unanalyzable, uncommon, unconventional, undivided, unearthly, unexampled, uniform, unimaginable, unique, unitary, unnatural, unordinary, unpaired, unrepeatable, unrepeated, unthinkable, unusual, unwonted, wacky, weird, whimsical, whole, wondrous strange