singlet

[ sing-glit ]

/ ˈsɪŋ glɪt /

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noun

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

a single unit; an unpaired or separate item.

Chiefly British. a man's undershirt or jersey.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of singlet

First recorded in 1740–50; single + -et

Words nearby singlet

single standard, single-step, singlestick, singlesticker, single-suiter, singlet, single tax, single thread, single ticket, singleton, single-tongue

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use singlet in a sentence

Annie swathed the bottle in an old flannel pit-singlet, and kissed her mother good-night.
Sons and Lovers|David Herbert Lawrence
I was a little surprised to see him having on a green singlet and smock frock.
Memoir and Diary of John Yeardley, Minister of the Gospel|John Yeardley
The whitish singlet and grey trousers held up by what is obviously his soldier brother's spare regimental belt is pure Lowestoft.
Sea Warfare|Rudyard Kipling
My only garments were a flannel singlet and a pair of canvas trousers, so stiff that they creaked woodenly as I trotted along.
The Log of a Sea-Waif|Frank T. Bullen

A few threads—I found out later—had been started on my singlet, but my hide was not even scratched.
Sea-Hounds|Lewis R. Freeman

British Dictionary definitions for singlet

singlet

/ (ˈsɪŋɡlɪt) /

noun

mainly British and Australian a man's sleeveless undergarment covering the body from the shoulders to the hips

Australian a similar sleeveless garment worn as outerwearAlso called (in Britain): vest

mainly British a garment worn with shorts by athletes, boxers, etc

NZ a black woollen outer garment worn by bushmen

physics a multiplet that has only one member

chem a chemical bond consisting of one electron

Word Origin for singlet

C18: from single, on the model of doublet

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