singleton

American  

[sing-guhl-tuhn] / ˈsɪŋ gəl tən /

noun

1. a person or thing occurring singly, especially an individual set apart from others.

2. 1. a child or animal that is the only one born at one birth.

      a research program involving twins and singletons.

   2. an only child in a family.

3. Chiefly British. an unmarried person; a single.

4. Cards. a card that is the only one of a suit in a hand.

5. Mathematics. a set consisting of one given element.

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singleton British  

/ ˈsɪŋɡəltən /

noun

1. bridge an original holding of one card only in a suit

2. a single object, individual, etc, separated or distinguished from a pair or group

3. maths a set containing only one member

4. a person who is neither married nor in a relationship

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Etymology

Origin of singleton

First recorded in 1875–80; single + -ton

Example Sentences

He was transferred to Singleton Hospital in Swansea where he was given cooling treatment to reduce the swelling on his brain, but four days later, Jacob died.

From BBC • Jun. 14, 2026

“Chinese analysts see two things at once,” said Craig Singleton, senior director of the China program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.

From Los Angeles Times • May 12, 2026

Deputy Chief Constable Bobby Singleton said no one was injured or killed thanks to the swift action taken by officers.

From BBC • May 9, 2026

Nor was she the first woman to produce and arrange—that was Mr. Gordy’s second wife, Raynoma Gordy Singleton.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 19, 2026

“You’re not in any trouble, but we do believe that you have some critical information that you can supply to us,” Singleton told her, according to the transcript.

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel

Related Words

• child
• entity
• human being
• man
• party
• person
• woman