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single-use

adjective

sin·​gle-use ˈsiŋ-gəl-ˈyüs How to pronounce single-use (audio)
variants or less commonly single use
: intended or designed to be used once and then discarded
single-use plastics
single-use paper products
Surgical masks are single-use face coverings that are designed to act as a barrier to sneezes or other potential exchanges of germs.Anandi Barker

Examples of single-use in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
This bundle offers two single-use licenses. PC Magazine, 22 Nov. 2025 Considerations Before Getting Started Some manufacturers warn against using vinegar for cleaning, especially with single-use coffee machines like Keurig or Nespresso. Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 21 Nov. 2025 Many Staples locations across Cincinnati, including on Reading Road, Glenway Avenue and Paxton Avenue, accept single-use batteries for free, according to Call2Recycle. David Ferrara, Cincinnati Enquirer, 21 Nov. 2025 Komineas also wants to reduce the number of single-use plastic bottles by making tap water safe to drink and having hotels and other accommodation providers offer reusable water bottles. Lucy Handley, CNBC, 15 Nov. 2025 These tools can be hard to find, though, and aren’t single-use tools a waste? Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 Nov. 2025 The Breakers does a good job of steering clear of single-use plastics, but there were a few too many plastic items in the poolside dining service. David Shaftel, Travel + Leisure, 15 Nov. 2025 The end product is a natural sustainable waterproof coating that may be be a replacement for single-use plastic food wrap and synthetic paper cup coatings. New Atlas, 15 Nov. 2025 But most industrial robots remain relatively dumb, single-use tools. semafor.com, 14 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1897, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of single-use was in 1897

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Cite this Entry

“Single-use.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/single-use. Accessed 30 Nov. 2025.

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