singlet

noun sin·glet \ ˈsiŋ-glət \

|Updated on: 17 Jun 2018

Definition of singlet

[from its having only one thickness of cloth]

chiefly British : an athletic jersey; also : undershirt

2 : an atom or molecule that has no net electronic magnetic moment; also : an excited state of an atom or molecule that is a singlet

See singlet defined for English-language learners

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Recent Examples of singlet from the Web

For sweaty runners like me, a tee, tank or singlet that can keep us from feeling soaked in the heat and humidity of summer is our Holy Grail.

— matt gross, WSJ, "The Best Shirts and Shorts for Keeping Sweaty Runners Dry," 7 June 2018
There’s a plaque honoring Prefontaine off of the downtown’s boardwalk and, two blocks south on U.S. 101, a three-panel Pre mural finished last year that shows him in his Marshfield High School, University of Oregon and 1972 U.S. Olympic singlets.

— andrew greif, OregonLive.com, "In intimate tour, Steve Prefontaine's sister shares iconic runner's life story, hometown," 25 May 2018
The equipment is cheap, and a wrestler needs only the one-piece suit, or singlet, and shoes, a manageable expense even for the poor shepherd families in the mountains.

— photographs and text by sergey ponomarev, New York Times, "A Wrestling Culture That Helps Keep Boys Away From Fighting," 18 Mar. 2018
The source of the shadow moved slowly into view, a figure in a gleaming singlet, steadily lifting and lowering a pair of hand-weights.

— adam kirsch, New York Times, "Scandal Puts a Gay Father in Prison. What of His Gay Son, a Generation Later?," 4 May 2018
Forward and Jun got the personalized singlets for themselves and other Poodle Boyz who wanted them for this marathon cycle.

— nora princiotti, BostonGlobe.com, "Boston Marathon runners wear their hearts on their singlets," 13 Apr. 2018
Here’s a 24-year-old Bruce in 1973, in Chuck Taylors and a singlet, sunglasses perched jauntily on his head and taken on a dock of the New Jersey shore.

— beth py-lieberman, Smithsonian, "Ten Rarely Seen Springsteen Photographs That Capture the Exhilarating Power of The Boss," 20 Apr. 2018
The look of ponchos and jackets running six-minute miles was a stark difference from the singlet and buns that elites are accustomed to being seen in during a race.

— chris chavez, SI.com, "How Des Linden Beat Fatigue, Weather Conditions to Win the 2018 Boston Marathon," 16 Apr. 2018
Sprinter Hannah Cunliffe has traded Eugene for Seattle and her Oregon Ducks singlet for an Adidas kit.

— tyson alger, OregonLive.com, "Oregon Ducks vs. UCLA Bruins: Men's basketball live updates," 17 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'singlet.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of singlet

circa 1746

in the meaning defined at sense 1

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SINGLET Defined for English Language Learners

singlet

noun

Definition of singlet for English Language Learners

: a shirt that has no sleeves or collar and that is worn for playing sports

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Nglish: Translation of singlet for Spanish speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about singlet

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singlet

Definition of singlet

Recent Examples of singlet from the Web

First Known Use of singlet

SINGLET Defined for English Language Learners

singlet

Definition of singlet for English Language Learners

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