Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This

American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

sin·gu·lar       (sĭng'gyə-lər)  Pronunciation Key  adj.   Being only one; individual. Being the only one of a kind; unique. Being beyond what is ordinary or usual; remarkable. Deviating from the usual or expected; odd. See Synonyms at strange. Grammar Of, relating to, or being a noun, pronoun, or adjective denoting a single person or thing or several entities considered as a single unit. Of, relating to, or being a verb expressing the action or state of a single subject. Logic Of or relating to the specific as distinguished from the general; individual. n.   Grammar The singular number or a form designating it. A word having a singular number. [Middle English singuler, from Old French, from Latin singulāris, from singulus, single; see single.] sin'gu·lar·ly adv., sin'gu·lar·ness n.

Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
singular 

WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This

singular
adjective
1.	unusual or striking; "a remarkable sight"; "such poise is singular in one so young" [syn: remarkable]
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]
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"
noun
1.	the form of a word that is used to denote a singleton [ant: plural]

American Heritage New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition - Cite This Source - Share This
singular

In nouns, pronouns, and verbs, the grammatical form that refers to only one thing. In the following sentence, the singular words are italicized: “The police officer stops anyone who crosses before the light changes.” (Compare plural; see agreement.)

[Chapter:] Conventions of Written English

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Singular

Sin"gle\, a. [L. singulus, a dim. from the root in simplex simple; cf. OE. & OF. sengle, fr. L. singulus. See Simple, and cf. Singular.]

1. One only, as distinguished from more than one; consisting of one alone; individual; separate; as, a single star.

No single man is born with a right of controlling the opinions of all the rest. --Pope.

2. Alone; having no companion.

Who single hast maintained, Against revolted multitudes, the cause Of truth. --Milton.

3. Hence, unmarried; as, a single man or woman.

Grows, lives, and dies in single blessedness. --Shak.

Single chose to live, and shunned to wed. --Dryden.

4. Not doubled, twisted together, or combined with others; as, a single thread; a single strand of a rope.

5. Performed by one person, or one on each side; as, a single combat.

These shifts refuted, answer thy appellant, . . . Who now defles thee thrice ti single fight. --Milton.

6. Uncompounded; pure; unmixed.

Simple ideas are opposed to complex, and single to compound. --I. Watts.

7. Not deceitful or artful; honest; sincere.

I speak it with a single heart. --Shak.

8. Simple; not wise; weak; silly. [Obs.]

He utters such single matter in so infantly a voice. --Beau. & Fl.

Single ale, beer, or drink, small ale, etc., as contrasted with double ale, etc., which is stronger. [Obs.] --Nares.

Single bill (Law), a written engagement, generally under seal, for the payment of money, without a penalty. --Burril.

Single court (Lawn Tennis), a court laid out for only two players.

Single-cut file. See the Note under 4th File.

Single entry. See under Bookkeeping.

Single file. See under 1st File.

Single flower (Bot.), a flower with but one set of petals, as a wild rose.

Single knot. See Illust. under Knot.

Single whip (Naut.), a single rope running through a fixed block.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

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.