singles
singles Lexical Profile
singles Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A game or match, especially in racket sports such as tennis, badminton, or table tennis, played with one player on each side of the court.
"She won the women's singles title at the tournament for the third consecutive year."
Unmarried people or individuals who are not currently in a romantic relationship, considered collectively.
"The community center hosts a social mixer for local singles every Friday evening."
Individual musical recordings or songs released separately from a full-length album, either digitally or on a physical medium.
"The band released three hit singles before their debut album went on sale."
American One-dollar bills.
"He checked his wallet and realized he only had a few singles left for the tip."
Base hits in baseball in which the batter safely reaches first base, or scores of one run in cricket.
"The pitcher gave up four singles in the opening inning but managed to avoid allowing a run."
• verb
To select or distinguish one person or thing from a group for special attention or treatment (usually followed by "out").
"The coach rarely singles out individual players for criticism after a team loss."
North American To hit a base hit in baseball that enables the batter to reach first base safely.
"Whenever the leadoff batter singles to center field, the team's chances of scoring increase significantly."
Word Nuance & Usage
When referring to a sports match played between two individuals (e.g., in tennis or badminton), "singles" is plural in form but often treated as singular or uncountable in construction (e.g., "Singles is more physically demanding than doubles").
• Rhymes for singles
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Derived from Middle English "single," borrowed from Old French "sengle," which comes from Latin "singulus" meaning "one at a time, individual, or separate."