single-use

adjective

sin·​gle-use ˈsiŋ-gəl-ˈyüs 

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

How the Clinical Home Ecosystem Works Instead of buying single-use gadgets like an LED mask or a massage gun, buyers are now assembling a full home recovery lab. — Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 8 July 2026

Local production and sourcing, upcycling, zero single-use plastic, and creative reuse are at the heart of Patina Osaka’s thoughtful sustainability efforts. — Kathryn Romeyn, Travel + Leisure, 7 July 2026

Its recommendations include reducing packaging, eliminating single-use plastics, buying lower-carbon materials and promoting local procurement. — Monica Sanders, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026

The Pineapple Punch Hydrating Face Mask is a single-use, two-piece yellow hydrogel mask infused with ingredients that deliver hydration and soothing benefits. — Skyler Caruso, PEOPLE, 2 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1897, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for single-use

• avenues
• barbecues
• cockatoos
• interviews
• kangaroos
• obliquus
• overshoes
• overuse
• overviews
• residues
• revenues
• tyrannus