being or amounting to a single unit or individual or entire thing, item, or object rather than two or more; a single: one woman; one nation; one piece of cake.
2.
being a person, thing, or individual instance or member of a number, kind, group, or category indicated: one member of the party.
3.
existing, acting, or considered as a single unit, entity, or individual.
4.
of the same or having a single kind, nature, or condition: We belong to one team; We are of one resolve.
5.
noting some indefinite day or time in the future: You will see him one day.
6.
a certain (often used in naming a person otherwise unknown or undescribed): One John Smith was chosen.
7.
being a particular, unique, or only individual, item, or unit: I'm looking for the one adviser I can trust.
8.
noting some indefinite day or time in the past: We all had dinner together one evening last week.
9.
of no consequence as to the character, outcome, etc.; the same: It's all one to me whether they go or not.
–noun
10.
the first and lowest whole number, being a cardinal number; unity.
11.
a symbol of this number, as 1 or I.
12.
a single person or thing: If only problems would come one at a time!
13.
a die face or a domino face having one pip.
14.
a one-dollar bill: to change a five-dollar bill for five ones.
15.
(initial capital letter) Neoplatonism. the ultimate reality, seen as a central source of being by whose emanations all entities, spiritual and corporeal, have their existence, the corporeal ones containing the fewest of the emanations.
–pronoun
16.
a person or thing of a number or kind indicated or understood: one of the Elizabethan poets.
17.
(in certain pronominal combinations) a person unless definitely specified otherwise: every one.
18.
(with a defining clause or other qualifying words) a person or a personified being or agency: the evil one; the one I love.
19.
any person indefinitely; anyone: as good as one would desire.
20.
Chiefly British. (used as a substitute for the pronoun I): Mother had been ailing for many months, and one should have realized it.
21.
a person of the speaker's kind; such as the speaker himself or herself: to press one's own claims.
22.
something or someone of the kind just mentioned: The portraits are fine ones. Your teachers this semester seem to be good ones.
23.
something available or referred to, esp. in the immediate area: Here, take one—they're delicious. The bar is open, so have one on me!
—Idioms
24.
at one,
a.
in a state of agreement; of one opinion.
b.
united in thought or feeling; attuned: He felt at one with his Creator.
25.
one and all, everyone: They came, one and all, to welcome him home.
26.
one by one, singly and successively: One by one the children married and moved away.
[Origin: bef. 900; ME oon, OE ān; c. D een, G ein, Goth ains, L ūnus (OL oinos); akin to Gk oíné ace on a die]
—Usage note One as an indefinite pronoun meaning “any person indefinitely, anyone” is more formal than you, which is also used as an indefinite pronoun with the same sense: One (or you) should avoid misconceptions. One (or you) can correct this fault in three ways. When the construction requires that the pronoun be repeated, either one or he or he or she is used; he or he or she is the more common in the United States: Wherever one looks, he (or he or she) finds evidence of pollution. In speech or informal writing, a form of they sometimes occurs: Can one read this without having their emotions stirred? In constructions of the type one of those who (or that or which), the antecedent of who is considered to be the plural noun or pronoun, correctly followed by a plural verb: He is one of those people who work for the government. Yet the feeling that one is the antecedent is so strong that a singular verb is commonly found in all types of writing: one of those people who works for the government. When one is preceded by only in such a construction, the singular verb is always used: the only one of her sons who visits her in the hospital. The substitution of one for I, a typically British use, is usually regarded as an affectation in the United States. See also he1, they.
Being a single entity, unit, object, or living being.
Characterized by unity; undivided: They spoke with one voice.
Of the same kind or quality: two animals of one species.
Forming a single entity of two or more components: three chemicals combining into one solution.
Being a single member or element of a group, category, or kind: I'm just one player on the team.
Being a single thing in contrast with or relation to another or others of its kind: One day is just like the next.
Occurring or existing as something indefinite, as in time or position: He will come one day.
Occurring or existing as something particular but unspecified, as in time past: late one evening.
Informal Used as an intensive: That is one fine dog.
Being the only individual of a specified or implied kind: the one person I could marry; the one horse that can win this race.
n.
The cardinal number, represented by the symbol 1, designating the first such unit in a series.
A single person or thing; a unit: This is the one I like best.
A one-dollar bill.
pron.
An indefinitely specified individual: She visited one of her cousins.
An unspecified individual; anyone: "The older one grows the more one likes indecency"(Virginia Woolf).
[Middle English on, from Old English ān; see oi-no- in Indo-European roots.]
Word History: Why do we pronounce one (wŭn) and once (wŭns) while other words derived from one, like only, alone, and atone, are pronounced with a long o? Over time, stressed vowels commonly become diphthongs, as when Latin bona became buona in Italian and buena in Spanish. A similar diphthongization of one and once began in the late Middle Ages in the west of England and in Wales and is first recorded around 1400. The vowel sound underwent a series of changes, such that the word's pronunciation went from (ōn) to (ōōōn), with two syllables, to (wōn) to (wōōn) to (wŏŏn) and finally to (wŭn). In southwest England, this diphthongization happened to other words beginning with the long o sound, such as oats, pronounced there now as (wŭts). Only in one and once did this diphthongal pronunciation gain widespread usage.
Usage Note: When constructions headed by one appear as the subject of a sentence or relative clause, there may be a question as to whether the verb should be singular or plural. Such a construction is exemplified in the sentence One of every ten rotors was found defective. Although the plural were is sometimes used in such sentences, an earlier survey found that the singular was preferred by 92 percent of the Usage Panel. · Constructions such as one of those people who pose a different problem. Most grammarians would argue that who should be followed by a plural verb in these sentences, as in He is one of those people who just don't take "no" for an answer. Their thinking is that the relative pronoun who refers to the plural noun people, not to one. They would extend the rule to constructions with inanimate nouns, as in The sports car turned out to be one of the most successful products that were ever manufactured in this country. However, constructions of this sort are often used with a singular verb even by the best writers. In an earlier survey, 42 percent of the Usage Panel accepted the use of the singular verb in such constructions. Note also that when the phrase containing one is introduced by the definite article, the verb in the relative clause must be singular: He is the only one of the students who has (not have) already taken Latin. · Constructions using one or more or one or two always take a plural verb: One or more cars were parked in front of the house each day this week. One or two students from our department have won prizes. Note that when followed by a fraction, one ordinarily takes a plural verb: One and a half years have passed since I last saw her. The fraction rule has an exception in that amounts are sometimes treated as singular entities: One and a half cups is enough sugar. Note also that the plural rule does not apply to these one-plus-a-fraction constructions that are introduced by the indefinite article. These are always singular: A year and a half has passed since I last saw her. See Usage Note at he1.
O.E. an, from P.Gmc. *ainaz (cf. O.N. einn, Dan. een, O.Fris. an, Du. een, Ger. ein, Goth. ains), from PIE *oinos (cf. Gk. oinos "ace (on dice)," L. unus "one," O.Pers. aivam, O.C.S. -inu, ino-, Lith. vienas, O.Ir. oin, Breton un "one"). Originally pronounced as it still is in only, and in dial. good 'un, young 'un, etc.; the now-standard pronunciation "wun" began c.14c. in southwest and west England (Tyndale, a Gloucester man, spells it won in his Bible translation), and it began to be general 18c. Use as indefinite pronoun infl. by unrelated Fr. on and L. homo. Slang one-arm bandit "a type of slot machine" is recorded by 1938. One-of-a-kind (adj.) "unique" is recorded from 1961. One-night stand is 1880 in performance sense; 1963 in sexual sense. One of the boys "ordinary amiable fellow" is from 1893. One-track mind is from 1927.
used of a single unit or thing; not two or more; "'ane' is Scottish"
2.
having the indivisible character of a unit; "a unitary action"; "spoke with one voice"
3.
of the same kind or quality; "two animals of one species"
4.
used informally as an intensifier; "that is one fine dog"
5.
indefinite in time or position; "he will come one day"; "one place or another"
6.
being a single entity made by combining separate components; "three chemicals combining into one solution"
7.
eminent beyond or above comparison; "matchless beauty"; "the team's nonpareil center fielder"; "she's one girl in a million"; "the one and only Muhammad Ali"; "a peerless scholar"; "infamy unmatched in the Western world"; "wrote with unmatchable clarity"; "unrivaled mastery of her art" [syn: matchless]
noun
1.
the smallest whole number or a numeral representing this number; "he has the one but will need a two and three to go with it"; "they had lunch at one"
2.
a single person or thing; "he is the best one"; "this is the one I ordered"
A\ ([.a] emph. [=a]). 1. [Shortened form of an. AS. [=a]n one. See One.] An adjective, commonly called the indefinite article, and signifying one or any, but less emphatically. "At a birth"; "In a word"; "At a blow". --Shak. Note: It is placed before nouns of the singular number denoting an individual object, or a quality individualized, before collective nouns, and also before plural nouns when the adjective few or the phrase great many or good many is interposed; as, a dog, a house, a man; a color; a sweetness; a hundred, a fleet, a regiment; a few persons, a great many days. It is used for an, for the sake of euphony, before words beginning with a consonant sound [for exception of certain words beginning with h, see An]; as, a table, a woman, a year, a unit, a eulogy, a ewe, a oneness, such a one, etc. Formally an was used both before vowels and consonants. 2. [Originally the preposition a (an, on).] In each; to or for each; as, "twenty leagues a day", "a hundred pounds a year", "a dollar a yard", etc.
A*lone"\, a. [All + one. OE. al one all allone, AS. [=a]n one, alone. See All, One, Lone.]1. Quite by one's self; apart from, or exclusive of, others; single; solitary; -- applied to a person or thing. Alone on a wide, wide sea. --Coleridge. It is not good that the man should be alone. --Gen. ii. 18. 2. Of or by itself; by themselves; without any thing more or any one else; without a sharer; only. Man shall not live by bread alone. --Luke iv. 4. The citizens alone should be at the expense. --Franklin. 3. Sole; only; exclusive. [R.] God, by whose alone power and conversation we all live, and move, and have our being. --Bentley. 4. Hence; Unique; rare; matchless. --Shak. Note: The adjective alone commonly follows its noun. Tolet or leavealone, to abstain from interfering with or molesting; to suffer to remain in its present state.
An\ ([a^]n). [AS. [=a]n one, the same word as the numeral. See One, and cf. A.] This word is properly an adjective, but is commonly called the indefinite article. It is used before nouns of the singular number only, and signifies one, or any, but somewhat less emphatically. In such expressions as "twice an hour," "once an age," a shilling an ounce (see 2d A, 2), it has a distributive force, and is equivalent to each, every. Note: An is used before a word beginning with a vowel sound; as, an enemy, an hour. It in also often used before h sounded, when the accent of the word falls on the second syllable; as, an historian, an hyena, an heroic deed. Many writers use a before h in such positions. Anciently an was used before consonants as well as vowels.
A*non"\, adv. [OE. anoon, anon, anan, lit., in one (moment), fr. AS. on in + [=a]n one. See On and One.]1. Straightway; at once. [Obs.] The same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it. --Matt. xiii. 20. 2. Soon; in a little while. As it shall better appear anon. --Stow. 3. At another time; then; again. Sometimes he trots, . . . anon he rears upright. --Shak. Anon right, at once; right off. [Obs.] --Chaucer. Ever and anon, now and then; frequently; often. A pouncet box, which ever and anon He gave his nose. --Shak.
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