What does "singleton" mean?
A playing card that is the only one of its suit in a hand, especially at bridge.
Singleton
/ˈsɪŋ.ɡ(ə)l.tən/ adj, name, noun
adj, name, noun ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A playing card that is the only one of its suit in a hand, especially at bridge.
- Grammar: singleton is listed as adj, name, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: ace, article, best bower, bower.
- Useful contrasts: danish gruppe, multi, portuguese grupo.
- Usage evidence: Viable non-malformed singleton pregnancies were selected for cerebellar measurements; transcerebellar diameter, (TCD), left and right cerebellar diameters (LCD, RCD).
How to use "singleton"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "singleton" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "singleton" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "singleton" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "singleton" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "singleton" is acting as adj, name, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "ace" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "singleton", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A playing card that is the only one of its suit in a hand, especially at bridge.
- 2 the playing card that is the only card in a suit held in a bridge hand as initially dealt wordnet
- 3 A hand containing only one card of a certain suit.
- 4 a set containing a single member wordnet
- 5 A single object, especially one of a group.
Show 9 more definitions
- 6 a single object (as distinguished from a pair) wordnet
- 7 A class that may not be instantiated more than once, i.e. that implements the singleton design pattern.
- 8 A set with exactly one element.
- 9 A child or animal that is born singly, not as a twin or other multiple birth.
"singleton preterm birth"
- 10 A person without a romantic partner.
"The time draws near when pink and red creep insidiously into the periphery, jewelry retailers go into overdrive and drugstore aisles burst with cherubs for the one holiday of the year that separates the singletons from the significant-othered."
- 11 A person without a dissociative identity.
- 12 A single consonant, as opposed to a geminated consonant.
"singleton sonorants"
- 13 Synonym of blot.
- 14 A class offered only once within a school year.
Adjective
- 1 Of a class offered only once within a school year.
"a singleton class"
Proper Noun
- 1 A placename:; A village and civil parish in Fylde borough, Lancashire, England (OS grid ref SD3838). countable, uncountable
- 2 A placename:; A suburb in Great Chart with Singleton parish, Ashford borough, Kent, England (OS grid ref TQ9841). countable, uncountable
- 3 A placename:; A village and civil parish in Chichester district, West Sussex, England (OS grid ref SU8713). countable, uncountable
- 4 A placename:; A town and local government area (Singleton Council) north-west of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia. countable, uncountable
- 5 A placename:; An outer southern suburb of Perth, Western Australia. countable, uncountable
Show 1 more definition
- 6 A habitational surname from Old English. countable, uncountable
"[…] she busied herself in the front room, rustling about in Anne Kellaway’s box of buttony materials filled with rings of various sizes, chips of sheep horn for the Singletons, a ball of flax for shaping round buttons, bits of linen for covering them, both sharp and blunt needles, and several different colors and thicknesses of thread."
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"Viable non-malformed singleton pregnancies were selected for cerebellar measurements; transcerebellar diameter, (TCD), left and right cerebellar diameters (LCD, RCD)."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "singleton"?
Common synonyms include: ace, article, best bower, bower, card, cardinality one set.
How do you use "singleton" in a sentence?
Viable non-malformed singleton pregnancies were selected for cerebellar measurements; transcerebellar diameter, (TCD), left and right cerebellar diameters (LCD, RCD).
How do you pronounce "singleton"?
Pronounced /ˈsɪŋ.ɡ(ə)l.tən/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From single + -ton, probably following the model of simpleton.
Etymology 2
From Middle English shyngel (“shingle”) + toun (“town”).