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singlet

American  
[sing-glit] / ˈsɪŋ glɪt /

noun

  • singlets
    plural
  1. a sleeveless athletic jersey, especially a loose-fitting top worn by runners, joggers, etc.

  2. a single unit; an unpaired or separate item.

  3. Chiefly British. a man's undershirt or jersey.


singlet British  
/ ˈsɪŋɡlɪt /

noun

  1. a man's sleeveless undergarment covering the body from the shoulders to the hips

  2. Also called (in Britain): vest.  a similar sleeveless garment worn as outerwear

  3. a garment worn with shorts by athletes, boxers, etc

  4. a black woollen outer garment worn by bushmen

  5. physics a multiplet that has only one member

  6. chem a chemical bond consisting of one electron

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

Etymology

Origin of singlet

First recorded in 1740–50; single + -et

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

The White House official dons a singlet and head into the cage.

From Salon Jun. 19, 2026

"Our experimental research demonstrates that the material behaves completely differently from what we would expect for a conventional singlet superconductor," added Linder.

From Science Daily Feb. 21, 2026

"It's so exciting to get to play," he smiles, his team's name – Spiked and Served – emblazoned on his singlet.

From BBC Feb. 20, 2026

You knew he’d wear a sparkly disco singlet.

From Los Angeles Times Apr. 14, 2025

Gold shorts, royal blue singlet, three medals around my neck, and two legs.

From "The Running Dream" by Wendelin Van Draanen

Their new-look backline's only experience together is in training singlets in practice.

From BBC Mar. 6, 2026

For many years, the Kondo effect was thought to mainly suppress magnetism by locking spins into singlets, a maximally entangled state with zero total spin.

From Science Daily Jan. 21, 2026

As the quartet approaches the final straightaway, the Kenyan and Ethiopian runners — clad in white and orange singlets — visibly appear to slow their pace, per footage obtained by the Wall Street Journal.

From Salon Apr. 17, 2024

Next week, District Vision is introducing women’s apparel, with sports bras, singlets, jackets, leggings, bike shorts, arm warmers and gaiters.

From New York Times Apr. 21, 2022

The slap of our sneakers switches to thuds when we start the dirt course, and two long-limbed track runners with Hempstead College singlets gallop by.

From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison

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