singleton

noun

sin·​gle·​ton ˈsiŋ-gəl-tən How to pronounce singleton (audio)
1
: a card that is the only one of its suit originally dealt to a player
2
a
: an individual member or thing distinct from others grouped with it
b
: an offspring born singly
singletons are more common than twins

Examples of singleton in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Then against four hearts, West led his singleton diamond: king, eight, seven. Frank Stewart, The Mercury News, 20 Feb. 2024 There’s no widespread asymmetrical power structure with singletons at the top and twins at the bottom. Parul Sehgal, The New Yorker, 22 Jan. 2024 Using data from the National Vital Statistics System, the analysis only looks at singleton births, since multiple births like twins and triplets tend to be born at earlier gestational ages, the authors note. Sara Moniuszko, CBS News, 31 Jan. 2024 On average, adult twins seem to be healthier and more content than singletons. Parul Sehgal, The New Yorker, 22 Jan. 2024 The relative rarity of twins invites speculation about how their experience is distinct from that of singletons—and what that distinctiveness can teach us about personhood. Christine Rosen, WSJ, 29 Dec. 2023 Its third season turns up the competition with the reveal of — gasp! — a second island, complete with another set of singletons. Los Angeles Times Staff, Los Angeles Times, 15 Dec. 2023 Of course, that leaves the singleton out of a turn. Miss Manners | Judith Martin, Anchorage Daily News, 22 Aug. 2023 There may also be systematic differences between singleton and non-singleton children that could skew the results. Nick Morrison, Forbes, 11 July 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'singleton.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

French, from English single

First Known Use

1863, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of singleton was in 1863

Dictionary Entries Near singleton

Cite this Entry

“Singleton.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/singleton. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Medical Definition

singleton

noun
sin·​gle·​ton ˈsiŋ-gəl-tən How to pronounce singleton (audio)
: an offspring born singly

More from Merriam-Webster on singleton

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!